CNOOC Building Deep-sea Drilling Rig

China will finish its first deep-sea drilling rig with a maximum working depth of three kilometers by 2011, a spokesman for China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) said. The maximum drilling depth will reach 12 kilometers, which means it can operate in deep-water regions in the South China Sea, Southeast Asia, Gulf of Mexico and West Africa. The project, with a total investment of $599m, will be carried out by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. under China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The spokesperson said China's biggest offshore oil company was planning to invest $2b to develop deep-sea oil equipment as it wanted to strengthen its exploration and development of deep-sea oil resources, which were a priority for major international oil companies. China's coastal waters include 200,000 square kilometers of water that is more than 300 meters deep. [Source: http://www.chinadaily.com]