1985 Asian Oil and Gas Map of Reserves in the Yellow Sea, China

A highly detailed large-format map of oil and gas fields in the Yellow Sea off the coast of China, produced in 1985 by the publication Asian Oil and Gas.

A Closer Look

The coastal area between the Shandong Peninsula and Shanghai is displayed, with cities, provinces, and other features noted on land, including offices of the China Geoexploration and Drilling Engineering Corp. Shanghai (GEDECOS), a short-lived name for an exploration company affiliated with China's Ministry of Geology. On the water, the depth of the ocean floor is indicated, while the surface is divided into a grid, separated into 'one-degree' (latitude and longitude) blocks, which are themselves subdivided into '10-minute' blocks. Areas under contract are shaded blue, while those open to bidding are shaded with diagonal grey lines. Various features are noted according to the legend at bottom-right, including wells, platforms, and oilfields.

Scanning the Yellow Sea

This map was produced in the early phase of oil and gas exploration in the Yellow Sea. In the 1960s, seismic surveys were undertaken by the U.S. Navy and (mainland) Chinese government in these waters to determine whether there might be sufficient reserves to explore. At that time, China's offshore drilling was generally close to shore and domestic state-owned enterprises lacked the means for extensive drilling out at sea. In the 1970s, both North and South Korea also explored drilling in the northern part of the Yellow Sea with foreign partners, though diplomatic complexities made such projects difficult to realize. The boom in energy exploration came with China's economic reforms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In January 1982, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) was founded and immediately set to work on projects undertaken in conjunction with foreign oil and gas companies, especially British Petroleum (BP), Cluff Oil, and C and T Orient Group, a joint venture between Chevron and Texaco. In the following years, additional foreign companies such as Shell and ExxonMobil also set up operations in the Yellow Sea in conjunction with CNOOC.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared and published by Asian Oil and Gas, a specialized journal, in 1985. It is not independently cataloged in the OCLC, while physical examples of the journal (OCLC 20157167) are held by about 14 institutions worldwide, with no certainty over the extent of the collection at each.