Liwan Topsides Installation Nears Completion (China)

China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) is reaching the final phase of the installation of the 30,000-metric-tonne topsides on the jacket at the Liwan 3-1 field in the South China Sea, China Daily has reported.

The news agency added that it has been informed by CNOOC that the progress has experienced a minor setback on Thursday due to bad weather, but added that the completion of the installation was imminent.

The Liwan Central Platform (CEP) topsides is being lowered on the jacket which was put in place on the ocean floor in September 2012 in a water depth of approximately 1,300 metres.

The Liwan field will use a deepwater subsea production system connected by flow lines and manifolds to a central shallow water platform, which in turn will be connected by pipeline to an onshore gas plant.
Located about 300 kilometres southeast of Hong Kong, Liwan 3-1 is the largest ever natural gas discovery offshore China. The field is being jointly developed by a Canadian oil company Husky Energy and CNOOC.

First gas is expected to flow in late 2013.