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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines – Notwithstanding a diplomatic protest filed by the Philippines, China will deploy a giant oil rig and begin drilling in the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea, Albay Governor Joey Salceda said on Tuesday.
Salceda said the platform Marine Oil 981 is owned by the China National Offshore Oil Corp., that country’s s largest offshore oil producer.
According to a Xinhua news report dated May 24, 2011, Marine Oil 981 is a giant deepwater oil drilling platform that carries out oil explorations up to a depth of 3,000 meters and is equipped with a drill that can go as deep as 12,000 meters.
Marine Oil 981 was built at the cost of 6 Billion Yuan or US$923 million, weighs more than 31,000 tons, and can withstand the rough conditions of the South China Sea.
The Xinhua report said it took more than three years for the China State Shipbuilding Corporation to build the giant rig, which was delivered to CNOOC on May 23, 2011 and is currently undergoing sea trials before its July deployment.
While the report did not mention where Marine Oil 981 will be drilling, it is widely believed it will be in the disputed Spratly Islands.
Salceda said he was “disturbed by the drift of news on the West Philippine Sea – especially with the six intrusions and the unusually abrasive, almost intolerant, statements of China.”
“Now my fears have found their origin: China will put up its huge oil rig in the disputed waters by July 2001 – the next three weeks,” Salceda pointed out in an email.
Salceda had earlier proposed a boycott of China-made products, which he now believes “is no longer as radical as it first seemed and would even be disproportionately inadequate to address the evolving dynamics.”
“To paraphrase Recto: it is foolish to love your country and ill-advised to fight for its honor and defend its national sovereignty,” Salceda added.
In the Xinhua report, it quoted CNOOC Chairman Wang Yilin as saying Marine Oil 981 “will be a good opportunity to strengthen its efforts in deepwater oil exploration and ensure energy security” of China. The Xinhua report also said, quoting CNOOC, that “the rig will be installed in the waters of the South China sea and begin oil and gas prospecting in July.”
Marine Oil 981 was dubbed the “Aircraft Carrier” because of size and was specifically designed to deal with the rough waves of the South China Sea.
A China Central Television (CCTV) report, dated May 22, 2011, said Marine Oil 981 is equipped with modern navigation and an advanced underwater anti-blowout safety system.
Marine Oil 981 is also equipped with dynamic global positioning systems that will enable it to keep its positions even if it is buffeted by a massive typhoon.
The CCTV story featured an interview with Wang Qi, manager of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company, where he said: “This drilling platform is specially designed for the bad sea conditions of the South Sea, so it can work well under that condition. It is equipped by the most advanced international devices and can drill 12,000 meters under water of 3,000 meters deep.”
Marine Oil 981 is the sixth generation drilling platform which meets China’s need for deepwater drilling equipment. The CCTV report said Marine Oil 981 is a key component of China’s 2020 Deepwater Daqing – referring to the exploration and exploitation of deepwater oil and gas reserves in the West Philippine Sea / South China Sea.
The Xinhua report said CNOOC plans to invest 200 billion yuan and drill 800 deepwater wells – which they expect to have an output of an equivalent 500 million barrels of oil by the year 2020. CNOOC believes the South China Sea holds major oil and gas deposits.
Presently China’s oil and fuel requirements come from imports and Beijing aims to reduce this dependence by exploring and exploiting energy resources on land and deepwater drilling.
