US Domestic Crude Output > Import + CN's 1st Deep-Water Gas Field

choi

(1) Wendy Koch, Worth Gushing Over; Oil output eclipses import. USA Today, Nov 15, 2013 (front page; not available online).

The above is terse, abridged from a lengthy one available online:
Wendy Koch, Big Milestone: US Producing More Oil Than It Imports. USAToday.com, Nov 13, 2013.

The reports are based on
Short-Term Energy Outlook. Energy Information Administration (EIA), US DEpartment of Energy, Nov 13, 2013
http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo/
("Monthly estimated domestic crude oil production exceeded crude oil imports in October for the first time since February 1995, while total petroleum net imports were the lowest since February 1991")

choi

Simon Hall, Beijing Goes to the Well for Energy Supplies; Cnooc and Canada's Husky Energy prepare to open the taps on China's first deep-water natural-gas project. Wall Street Journal, Nov 15, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/news/artic ... 4579180991007342138

Excerpt in the window of print: China wants to double its gas use to 10% of its energy mix by 2020.

Quote:

"The Liwan-3 gas field in the South China Sea about 200 miles southeast of Hong Kong is expected to go online by early next year and eventually [in 2015] to pump about 4% of the country's gas supply [later in the report: "4% of Chinese domestic gas output" thus excluding import]. * * * The field is in undisputed waters in the South China Sea

"Husky Energy Inc, which is controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, operates the project and owns 49%. Chinese state-owned energy company Cnooc Ltd 0883.HK in  Your Value Your Change Short position holds the rest.

"Cnooc has made a push to develop its offshore-drilling expertise, last year paying $15.1 billion for Canada's Nexen Inc. That purchase gave Cnooc access to technical skills used by Nexen in the Gulf of Mexico, which is far deeper than Liwan's location [where seabed is beneath 4,750 feet of water], and which can be used in future deep-water projects. Husky and Cnooc contracted with deep-water specialists, including Italy's Saipem SPM.MI in  Your Value Your Change Short position SpA, for assistance at Liwan.

My comment:
(a) I have no idea why the report does not mention Chunxiao (Shirakaba according to Japan) gas field, which should also be deep-water.
(b) In comparison, The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred while BP "was drilling a 35,050 feet (10,680 m) deep exploratory well in approximately 5,100 feet (1,600 m) of water."  Wiki