China’s First Offshore Oil Platform Leaves for UK
China's largest semi-submersible ship "Xinguanghua" carrying a floating platform for oil production, storage and unloading, set sail from Shengsi County in east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday towards the North Sea Oil Field in the UK.
According to MANA, the platform, also known as "Hope No.6" is the first of its kind built by China. It is cylindrical in shape and can turn in all directions along with wind and waves to avoid damage from stormy waves.
With a maximum processing capacity of 44,000 barrels of crude oil a day, the platform can deal with mud and impurities in crude oil under the sea and ship the purified oil by shuttle tankers.
As an offshore processing plant for oil and gas, it took COSCO Shipyard four years to build. It weighs 31,000 tons, measures 56 meters tall, equivalent of 18 floors.
The platform will reach North Sea Oil Field in June, where it will be put into service for two decades.