China is aiming to commercialise production of methane hydrates by 2030 after successfully drilling for the frozen gas in the South China Sea last year . drill # 1 , an ultra - deep submersible drilling rig , will be completed in the second half of this year after its predecessor , Blue ##hale 1 , completed the South China drilling test . Both will be ready for deep - water oil drilling as well . " The frequent and fierce typhoons in the deep - water area of the South China Sea are the biggest obstacle to oil exploration , " said Yang Yongtao , project manager of CIMC - Raffles ' petroleum product department .
China is aiming to commercialise production of methane hydrates by 2030 after successfully drilling for the frozen gas in the South China Sea last month. Blue Whale 2, an ultra-deep submersible drilling rig, will be completed in the second half of this year after its predecessor, Blue Whale 1, completed the South China Sea test. Both will be used for deep-water oil drilling as well. "The frequent and fierce typhoons in the deep-water area of the South China Sea are the biggest obstacle to oil exploration," said Yang Yongtao, project manager of CIMC-Raffles' drilling product department.