China has marked a significant milestone in offshore energy technology with the launch of what state-owned operator CNOOC Ltd claims to be the world’s largest offshore hydraulic fracturing vessel. The Hai Yang Shi You 696 represents a groundbreaking advancement in China’s strategic initiative to address critical technical bottlenecks in developing low-permeability formations within the nation’s offshore hydrocarbon fields.
Engineering Marvel Unveiled
The impressive vessel was officially launched this week at Wuhu Shipyard in China’s eastern Anhui province, culminating years of specialized design and construction work. Following this successful launch, the vessel will now undergo rigorous mooring trials and comprehensive high-load system integration tests. These critical evaluations will systematically assess equipment compatibility under various complex working conditions, including operations in fluctuating water depths and challenging tidal environments.
Designed by the prestigious Shanghai Shipbuilding Research & Design Institute (SDARI), the Hai Yang Shi You 696 boasts remarkable dimensions that underscore its status as a global engineering achievement. With a total length of 99.8 metres, a substantial beam of 22 metres, and a depth of 9.9 metres, the vessel represents China’s growing technological prowess in maritime energy infrastructure.
Cutting-Edge Technical Specifications
The vessel incorporates several cutting-edge technological features that optimize its operational capabilities while addressing environmental concerns. According to Wuhu Shipyard, the vessel’s builder, it features an advanced all-electric propulsion system, sophisticated dual-fuel capability, and a DP-2 dynamic positioning system. This positioning technology is supported by an innovative closed ring busbar arrangement, which significantly enhances onboard power management efficiency while simultaneously reducing harmful emissions.
CNOOC Ltd, China’s largest offshore oil and gas producer and the vessel’s operator, emphasized that the Hai Yang Shi You 696 will fill a longstanding gap in China’s offshore fracturing capabilities. This technological advancement arrives at a critical juncture as China intensifies efforts to enhance domestic energy security through increased exploitation of previously inaccessible hydrocarbon resources.
Unprecedented Operational Capacity
The vessel’s operational specifications are equally impressive, with the capacity to generate up to 25,000 horsepower—sufficient to drive the high-pressure hydraulic fracturing operations required for challenging offshore formations. Additionally, it can store more than 600 cubic metres of proppant, the specialized particles injected into fractures created during the hydraulic fracturing process to keep them open, allowing oil and gas to flow more freely to the wellbore.
Strategic Implications for China’s Energy Sector
Industry analysts note that this development represents a significant advancement in China’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on imported energy by maximizing domestic production. The ability to effectively fracture offshore formations could substantially increase recoverable reserves from China’s offshore fields, particularly in the South China Sea and Bohai Bay regions, where numerous low-permeability reservoirs have been identified but remained technically challenging to develop.
The development of such sophisticated domestic capabilities also aligns with China’s dual circulation economic strategy, which emphasizes technological self-reliance in critical sectors, including energy extraction and production. By reducing reliance on foreign technology for complex offshore operations, China demonstrates its commitment to technological sovereignty in strategic industries.
As global competition for energy resources intensifies, the Hai Yang Shi You 696 positions China at the forefront of offshore resource development technology, potentially opening new frontiers in marine energy extraction both domestically and, potentially, in international markets where Chinese energy companies maintain a growing presence.
SOURCE: Oilspot Suriname