南海風雲---- 東沙島海域發現石油，政府還在裝睡嗎?

筆者三年多前曾在部落格發表文章，呼籲政府前往東沙島海域探勘石油。三年過去了，政府絲毫沒有動靜。根據2月22日的新聞報導，韓國SK Innovation公司在南海東沙島附加海域發現油田。根據該公司的報導，在南海17/03區塊，距地表2000公尺深處發現一厚34.8公尺的油田，在沒有運用設備抽取，僅依靠自然地層壓力的情況下進行試開採，每天出油量為3750桶。

該韓商是於2015年2月與大陸中國海油公司簽約，於該17/03區塊(總面積為7686平方公里)進行石油探勘。筆者依據中國海油該公司網站的資料，將具體座標標繪於地圖上，以顯示該區塊與東沙島相關位置，並量測該區塊南緣(北緯21度5分)距東沙島的距離不到40公里，與東沙環礁的距離更不到30公里，該區塊北緣(北緯22度)距東沙環礁也不到140公里。

韓商的17/03區塊位置示意圖

17/03區塊與東沙島相關位置圖

17/03區塊的座標

17/03區塊南緣與東沙環礁距離圖

17/03區塊北緣與東沙環礁距離圖

17/03區塊明顯位於我方東沙島海域內，政府卻裝作沒看見，不聞不問，置國家主權不顧，放棄石油利益。先不論主權問題，筆者不禁要問如這石油不是台灣的利益，那什麼是台灣的利益? 政府何時才能學學菲律賓總統杜特蒂，為了台灣的利益和對岸展開談判。

SK Innovation discovers crude oil in South China Sea

By Kim Da-sol

• Published : Feb 22, 2018 - 15:38
• Updated : Feb 22, 2018 - 15:38

South Korean petroleum refining company SK Innovation has successfully discovered crude oil at a Chinese block in the South China Sea, the company said Thursday. 

According to the company, it found a 34.8-meter-thick effective oil pool at Block 17/03 located at a depth of some 2,000 meters down the Pearl River Mouth Basin in December last year. 

This marks SK Innovation’s first discovery in the area since it began an offshore oil exploration project in 2015 as an operator in the South China Sea. 

SK Innovation currently owns 80 percent of the block, while the rest is held by China National Offshore Oil Corporation, a Chinese state-owned company that specializes in offshore oil and gas.

“This significant achievement was possible due to our 36 years of technical expertise,” said the company. 

During the test production period, the company said it drilled up to 3,750 barrels of crude oil a day, solely based on the natural pressure from the geological strata.

SK Innovation said it plans to conduct an evaluation to further verify the oil reserves and commercial value of the block. If the value is verified, the company will set up an oil production platform in the South China Sea.

“SK Innovation is the first private company in Korea to pioneer the upstream oil and gas business. Once the commerciality of the project in PRMB is secured, SK Innovation will use it as a platform for expansion to other areas in the South China Sea,” said a SK Innovation spokesman. 

Since 1983, the company has been producing conventional oil in Peru, Vietnam and the Middle East. It currently produces a daily average of 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent in 13 blocks in nine countries around the world. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)