Vietnam’s offshore oil field produces first commercial oil ahead of schedule

The Kinh Ngu Trang-Kinh Ngu Trang Nam (White Whale-White Whale South or KNT-KTN) oil field, located in Block 09-2/09 off Vietnam's southern coast, welcomed its first oil flow on Monday, one day ahead of schedule.

It marked a significant milestone toward increasing national oil output and ensuring Vietnam’s energy security.

At exactly 7:09 a.m. on Monday, four wells on the WHP-KTN platform were successfully opened to initiate commercial production, and the CPP-KNT central processing platform received the first oil flow at 10:34 a.m. the same day.

The crude oil was then transported via a 38-kilometer subsea pipeline to the MSP-10 platform for further processing.

The project, operated by Vietnam-Russia joint venture Vietsovpetro with the engagement of partners Petrovietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) and AO Zarubezhneft, includes the construction of the CPP-KNT platform and the WHP-KTN wellhead platform, the installation of intra-field and inter-field pipelines and subsea cables, and modifications to existing platforms MSP-10, MSP-9, and BK-15.

The oil field is a large-scale development featuring complex technical requirements and numerous high-specification work packages. The project was completed in just over 33 months despite global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, harsh offshore weather, and deep-water technical hurdles.

All construction and commissioning phases were executed in a coordinated, rigorous manner, ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. The final inspections by Vietsovpetro's acceptance board were completed at MSP-10 on July 4 and at CPP-KNT and WHP-KTN on July 11, confirming operational readiness for commercial production.

As of the ‘first oil’ milestone, the project had recorded over 6.6 million safe man-hours without any accidents - a remarkable achievement reflecting the professionalism and high level of responsibility of Vietsovpetro’s workforce.

Amid declining output from Block 09-1 and nearby fields, the timely commercial operation of the KNT-KTN cluster is critical to maintaining Vietsovpetro’s production at over 3 million tons per year.

This contributes not only to national energy security but also reinforces Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty through strategic oil and gas cooperation in the Cuu Long and Nam Con Son basins.

The first oil flow from the KNT-KTN platforms stands as a testament to the technological expertise, unity, and determination of Vietnam’s petroleum workforce. Strategically, it highlights the nation's ability to tap into its southern offshore potential efficiently and sustainably.

This successful deployment further demonstrates Vietsovpetro's growing maturity and capability as an operator and adds another proud chapter to the 50-year history of Vietnam’s national industrial and energy sector.