HAIKOU, August 13. /TASS/. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) successfully tested the first China-produced subsea blowout preventer for offshore oil and gas wells in the waters of the Island of Hainan, reported the Hainan Daily newspaper.

CNOOC will use the developed complex for wellhead sealing during construction and repair. "The submarine emergency preventer can be called the most important tool in the world to prevent the release of oil into the sea," the publication quoted deputy general director of the Hainan division of CNOOC Liu Shujie as saying.

According to him, such a preventer demonstrates the country's capabilities in research and development of emergency equipment for offshore wells. According to the newspaper, by the end of 2020, there were 20 similar devices in the world.

The equipment has a working depth of 3,000 meters and a total weight of over 130 tonnes. Its operating cost is 40% lower compared to developments in other countries, the newspaper writes.

CNOOC's Shenhai-1 drilling platform in the waters of Hainan province officially started offshore energy production in the South China Sea at the end of June. The platform is located 150 km south of Hainan, the wells are at a depth of 1.5 km. The Shenhai-1 deep-water semi-submersible floating platform was designed and built by China independently, without foreign support. Its service life is 150 years. The maximum storage capacity reaches 20,000 cubic meters.

According to official statistics, Hainan, together with sea areas, occupies about 2 million square kilometers, which is equivalent to the territory of Mexico. On the shelf of the South China Sea, there are huge reserves of hydrocarbons, the active development of which, as expected, will allow China to satisfy a significant share of domestic demand for energy resources.