According to CNOOC, on November 21, Wuhu Shipyard completed the keel laying of China’s first integrated large well stimulation vessel “Haiyang Shiyou 696”, which entered the accelerated construction stage. The vessel is designed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI) and classed by China Classification Society (CCS).
“Haiyang Shiyou 696”, the well stimulation vessel, is an integrated fracking vessel whose overall performance has reached the world advanced level. With an overall length of 99.9 meters, a beam of 22 meters and a depth of 9.9 meters, the vessel will meet the new demands for large-scale fracturing operations in the whole sea area of China, batch fracturing operations in multiple wells at sea as well as gas wells and ultra-deep fracturing operations, and will fill in the blanks of fracturing technology and engineering in offshore oilfields in China. This vessel is mainly used for offshore low permeability oil and gas field potential reserves exploitation.
The vessel is also equipped with fluid supply equipment, mixing equipment, sand mixing equipment, sand storage and delivery equipment and other material storage and supply equipment, etc. All the specialized equipment for oilfield production enhancement operations are arranged in the cabin (in the main hull), which can effectively reduce the impact of the sea conditions. The capacity of key fracturing equipment carried by the vessel is among the highest in the world.
The speed of the vessel can reach more than 13 knots. It adopts all-electric propulsion form, equipped with two electric propulsion full rotary thrusters, one telescopic thruster and two bow thrusters, and its power positioning capability reaches DP 2 level. It can carry out fracturing operation under the environmental conditions of Class 7 wind, 3 meters righteous wave height and 1.5 knots, and safely navigate under the environmental conditions of Class 8 sea state and Beaufort Scale of Class 10 wind.
Fracturing refers to the process of extracting oil or gas by utilizing hydraulic forces to form fractures in low-permeability oil and gas formations, which are then filled with ceramic gravel for support, keeping the fractures from closing. Fracturing is essential to improve the flow conditions at the bottom of oil wells and to improve the mobilization of oil formations.
“Haiyang Shiyou 696” is the first fracking vessel in China with integrated, electrically-driven fracking equipment, especially in terms of integration of fracking equipment and vessel, which is the first of its kind in China.
The vessel is capable of meeting the new demands for large-scale and batch fracturing operations of China’s offshore oil and gas wells as well as ultra-deep fracturing operations, greatly enhancing China’s ability of deep-sea access, deep-sea exploration and deep-sea development, and is of strategic significance in filling the gaps in the field of offshore oilfield fracturing technology and engineering in China.