China has begun operating its first offshore carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) project at the Enping 15-1 oil platform, located approximately 200 kilometres southwest of Shenzhen, in the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the northern South China Sea. The project is operated by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and marks a significant step in advancing the country’s marine-based climate solutions.
The system captures carbon dioxide produced during oil extraction at the platform. Once captured, the CO2 is compressed into a supercritical state, a form in which it behaves more like a liquid than a gas. This allows it to be more easily injected underground, improves its mixing with crude oil, and enables greater storage efficiency.
The compressed CO2 is then injected into subsurface oil reservoirs for long-term storage. This method not only reduces emissions but also supports enhanced oil recovery, allowing more crude to be extracted from existing wells while securely storing the captured carbon.
At Enping 15-1, CNOOC is demonstrating how offshore infrastructure can play a dual role in supporting both energy production and carbon reduction. As the country’s first project of its kind, it signals a new direction in combining innovation, sustainability, and ocean-based climate action.
Photo credit: CNOOC
