On May 12, after nearly 13 hours of preparation, Asia's largest semi-submersible ship - COSCO Shipping Group's Xinguang Hua – loaded the cylindrical FPSO Haikui No. 1 ready for dispatch to the deepwater Liuhua oilfield.

A measuring robot was used to ensure the correct positioning of the 90-meter diameter FPSO to within 100mm (four inches). The semi-sub is now set to sail from Qingdao Port to the Pearl River Estuary.

The operation involves Asia's largest semi-submersible ship, Asia's largest cylindrical FPSO and Asia's first deepwater jacket platform. It also sets a record for the heaviest and largest cylindrical cargo shipped by COSCO Shipping’s fleet.

CNOOC is the operator of the Liuhua oil fields which are located in the South China Sea in water depths of up to 430 meters.