China's National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy
Administration issued the petroleum and natural gas development 15th Five‑Year
Plan. The plan targets breakthroughs in ultra‑deep hydrocarbon generation and
accumulation mechanisms and high‑precision geomechanical modelling, and core
exploration and development technologies for ultra‑deep carbonate and clastic
reservoirs. It mandates development of major equipment including 15,000m‑class
smart drilling rigs, intelligent managed‑pressure drilling systems and logging
tools upgraded for ultra‑high‑temperature, ultra‑high‑pressure wells to enable
onshore exploration and production at 10,000m depths. For deepwater fields the
plan calls for breakthroughs in deepwater drilling, intelligent completions and
testing and safe, efficient field development, and targets development of
3,000m‑class deepwater marine node acquisition systems, 3,000m deepwater blowout
preventers with multi‑variable composite control systems, and 1,500m
full‑electric subsea control system equipment.
