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SEA THAT THE FIRST OIL WAS DISCOVERED AND SINCE THE ACREAGE
OFFSHORE CHINA IS VERY MUCH GREATER THAN THAT OF THE NORTH SEA,
IT IS TOO EARLY TO BECOME DESPONDENT ON THE EVENTUAL OUTCOME ON
CHINA'S CONTINENTAL SHELF. BRITISH INDUSTRY OCCUPIES A LEADING
POSITION IN OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS TECHNOLOGY AND THE EXPERIENCE OF
WORKING IN THE DEMANDING CONDITIONS OF THE NORTH SEA MAKES IT
WELL SUITED TO WORKING OFFSHORE CHINA. OF PARTICULAR RELEVANCE
IN THE PRESENT CLIMATE OF DEPRESSED OIL PRICES, IS THE TECHNOLOGY
PIONEERED IN THE UK FOR LOCATING AND PRODUCING OIL FROM SMALL
OILFIELDS. BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT IS A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO
RESERVOIR EVALUATION, PETROLEUM ECONOMICS AND THE HIGH QUALITY
MANUFACTURE OF A WIDE RANGE OF EQUIPMENT ABLE TO MEET FOREIGN OIL
COMPANY STANDARDS. WHILST ALL THIS CAN BE PROVIDED FROM THE UK,
IT WOULD BE WRONG TO SUPPOSE THAT BRITAIN'S HYDROCARBON EXPERTISE
RELATES SOLELY TO OFFSHORE WORK. IN FACT, MANY OF THE SERVICES
AND EQUIPMENT USED ON THE UK CONTINENTAL SHELF HAVE EQUAL
APPLICABILITY ONSHORE AND BRITAIN'S OILFIELD CAPABILITY IS
INCREASINGLY FINDING ONSHORE APPLICATION WORLDWIDE.
CHINA.
IN GAS ALSO, BRITISH INDUSTRY HAS MUCH TO OFFER CHINA.
THE BRITISH GAS CORPORATION IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING
UTILITIES ENGAGED IN THE EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND
TRANSMISSION OF NATURAL GAS AND ALREADY HAS CONTRACTS FOR WORK IN
IT IS ACTIVELY PURSUING FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDING
COAL GASIFICATION USING A SLAGGING GASIFIER FOR SHANGHAI. ONE
PROJECT WHICH SEEMS SET TO OBTAIN CHINESE GOVERNMENT APPROVAL IS
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA'S LARGEST SINGLE GAS FIELD IN THE SOUTH
CHINA SEA. THE PROJECT WILL BE ONE OF THE LARGEST IN SOUTHERN
CHINA AND INVOLVES OFFSHORE PRODUCTION FACILITIES, AN ONSHORE
RECEIVING TERMINAL AND A MAJOR TRUNK PIPELINE TO TRANSPORT THE
GAS OVER 1,000 KMS TO GUANGZHOU AND OTHER CENTRES OF UTILISATION.
THE ONSHORE DEVELOPMENT PARALLELS THAT OF BRINGING NORTH SEA GAS
FROM THE NORTH EAST OF SCOTLAND TO SOUTHERN ENGLAND AND MANY UK
FIRMS ARE ABLE TO OFFER RELEVANT EXPERTISE IN GAS TRANSMISSION,
DISTRIBUTION, STORAGE, COMPRESSION, METERING AND OTHER RELEVANT
TOPICS. ALSO ENVISAGED IN THE SCHEME ARE 2 MEDIUM SIZED POWER
STATIONS AND POSSIBILY A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL PLANTS, DEPENDING
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