Canadian independent Husky Energy will soon start an exploration drilling campaign at its two shallow-water blocks in the South China Sea's Pearl River Mouth basin, writes Xu Yihe.

Husky will use the jack-up rig Hai Yang Shi You 943, owned and operated by China Oilfield Service Ltd (COSL), for a campaign set to include four firm wells plus one optional well in blocks 15/33 and 16/25. Sources said drilling is likely to start next month, just behind the originally target of getting started in the first quarter.

Block 15/33 covers 155 square kilometres in water depths of between 80 and 100 metres, while Block 16/25 covers 44 square kilometres with a water depth of 100 metres.

The Hai Yang Shi You 943 is currently hot-stacked in the South China Sea off Haikou in Hainan province. The Ju2000E-23 design rig, was built and delivered by China's Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Offshore in early 2016, and is designed to operate in water depths of 400 feet.

Its first job was a one-well campaign for Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell at Block 62/02 in the South China Sea's Yinggehai basin in 2016.

The rig later was later moved to Block 11-1 in the Yinggehai basin to drill an exploration well for Hong Kong independent PetroBroad Copower.

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Rig ready for Pearl River Mouth basin campaign