In the tourist destination of Barradero in Cuba, the white sandy beaches and azure waters complement each other, creating a charming tropical landscape. A few minutes’ drive away, the VDW-1012 well operation site is a different scene: the ancient oil workers of the GW91 drilling team of the Cuba project department of China Petroleum Great Wall Drilling are dressed in red uniforms, shuttling between various equipment, and working in an orderly manner amidst the roar of the machines.
This oil well was completed in May last year. Due to its proximity to well-known beaches, environmental protection is a major concern for the Cuban side during the construction process and also a “red line” for the drilling team.
Li Guang, the platform manager of GW91 drilling team, told Xinhua News Agency that the construction party strictly adheres to international environmental standards, controls the entire process from project planning to construction operation, continuously strengthens environmental protection measures, regularly organizes staff to carry out special training, continuously enhances ecological protection awareness, and insists on achieving zero pollution incidents. He gave an example that during the use of oil-based mud, the construction party adopted the measure of “mud does not fall to the ground” and equipped it with a spin drying and centrifugal treatment system, effectively solving the problem of environmental pollution and avoiding oil mud pollution.
On November 27, 2020, a Chinese employee (left) and a Cuban employee of the GW91 drilling platform of China Petroleum Group Great Wall Drilling Engineering Company exchanged greetings. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez)
At present, the VDW-1012 well has entered a stable production stage, with a daily output of about 310 tons of crude oil, contributing to reducing Cuba’s external energy dependence and enhancing energy security.
The GW91 drilling team was established in September 2014 and currently consists of 10 Chinese employees and 62 Cuban employees. Since the first well was drilled in 2015, a total of 5 large displacement ultra deep water horizontal wells have been constructed.
Li Binglu, Deputy Manager of the Cuba Project Department, introduced that as the demand for oil in Cuba continues to rise, exploring new oil wells and increasing the production of existing oil fields have become important tasks for the Cuban National Oil Company. China Petroleum Great Wall Drilling Engineering Company, which has been rooted in Cuba for 20 years, has become an important partner of the Cuban side with reliable technology and rich experience. Since its establishment, the Cuba Project Department has trained a total of 308 petroleum engineering technicians for Cuba, helped build 4 drilling teams, and provided major maintenance services for Cuba’s self operated drilling rigs, effectively solving the long-standing problems of maintenance and repair that have plagued the development of the local petroleum industry.
At present, the cooperation between Great Wall Drilling Company and Cuba Petroleum has developed into the mode of “drilling engineering+technical services+equipment repair+parts trade”. Great Wall Drilling Company has become Cuba’s largest oil engineering service provider with the most complete industrial chain, constantly writing the chapter of deepening the joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” between the two countries.