Guangdong, China — China has successfully deployed Haiji-2, a record-breaking deepwater jacket platform located about 250 kilometers southeast of Shenzhen, marking a major milestone in the secondary development of the Liuhua Oilfield—China’s first deepwater oilfield.

Standing at an impressive 428 meters in total height, including an underwater section of 338.5 meters, Haiji-2 is currently one of the tallest deepwater jacket structures ever installed. The massive steel installation supports a large offshore production platform that integrates drilling, oil and gas production, and living facilities within a single complex.

As the core infrastructure of the Liuhua Oilfield redevelopment project, Haiji-2 functions as an offshore processing hub. Crude oil extracted from surrounding wells is transported via pipeline to Haikui No.1, Asia’s first cylindrical floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility. At Haikui No.1, the crude oil undergoes processing, storage, and eventual shipment to domestic and international ports by tanker vessels.

Since the commissioning of its first batch of wells in September 2024, Haikui No.1 has reached a daily production capacity of up to 3,900 tonnes of crude oil, setting a new operational record for the field.

The Haiji-2 platform consists of a deepwater jacket foundation and a multi-level production deck system, with the above-sea portion rising roughly 100 meters above the waterline. Operational teams, including platform director Shu Zhengyong and technical specialists such as chief electrician Liang Tianjiang, oversee routine inspections and maintenance to ensure continuous and safe production.

Industry observers note that the successful installation and operation of Haiji-2 demonstrates China’s growing technological capability in ultra-deepwater engineering and is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s offshore energy production capacity in the coming years.