China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced that its offshore heavy oil thermal recovery solutions, including technology, system and core equipment, have achieved significant progress in large - scale application, with cumulative offshore heavy oil thermal recovery exceeding 5 million metric tons. This milestone makes China the world's first country to realize large - scale thermal recovery development of offshore heavy oil.

Heavy oil is characterized by high viscosity, high density, poor fluidity and easy solidification, which brings great difficulties to extraction. Compared with onshore oilfields, offshore platform operations are restricted by limited space and high costs. The large - scale thermal recovery of offshore heavy oil has long been a worldwide problem due to the dual challenges in technology, equipment and economic benefits.

As one of the world's four major heavy oil producers, China has abundant heavy oil resources. The proven reserves of offshore high - viscosity heavy oil that need thermal injection for development exceed 600 million tons, accounting for about 20% of China's proven heavy oil reserves, showing huge development potential.

CNOOC stated that the heavy oil thermal recovery output has exceeded 1.3 million tons in 2025, and the annual output is expected to jump to 2 million tons. Its new Kenli 10 - 2 oilfield project, the first lithological oilfield with 100 million tons of proven in - place volume found in the shallow depression zone of the Bohai Bay Basin, started heavy crude production in July. As the first large - scale thermal recovery platform for heavy oil in the southern Bohai Sea, it is expected to reach a peak production of about 19,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026.

（Release date: September 2, 2025 Source: China Daily）