China’s National Offshore Oil Corporation has announced the discovery of a major oilfield in the eastern South China Sea, with reserves of over 100 million tonnes.
The Huizhou 19-6 oilfield is located about 170 kilometres from Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, according to Xinhua news agency.
Test drilling at the site has so far produced 413 barrels of crude oil and 68,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day, CNOOC said on Monday.
CNOOC’s CEO, Zhou Xinhuai, described the discovery as a major step forward in China’s offshore oil exploration efforts.
“We have achieved continuous breakthroughs in oil and gas exploration in the eastern waters of the South China Sea,” he said.
He added that the company had now discovered oilfields with over 100 million tonnes of reserves for two years in a row.
Chief Geologist Xu Changgui also highlighted the significance of the find.
“This is the largest clastic whole oilfield in the northern part of the South China Sea in terms of geological reserves, challenging traditional geological theories,” he said.
The South China Sea remains largely unexplored due to territorial disputes. While China claims nearly the entire region, other countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Brunei, also lay claim to parts of the area.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has noted that most oil and gas discoveries in the South China Sea have occurred in areas that are not disputed.
Despite its own oil production efforts, China remains the world’s largest importer of crude oil. In 2024, the country imported an average of 11.1 million barrels per day, according to data from the U.S. government.
The new oilfield is expected to boost China’s energy production and reduce its dependence on foreign oil.
