Almost 1,000 vessels stranded in icebound north China
Almost 1,000 vessels have been stranded in the Laizhou Bay area between Qingdao and Tianjin as temperatures plunged to their lowest in 28 years, according to local media reports, Seatrade Asia online reports.
At Laizhou Bay, 291 sq km was icebound, disrupting inland transport as temperatures fell to -15.3 degrees Celsius, 3.7 degrees below the previous recorded average.
Meanwhile oil field operations have also been disrupted with China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) saying oil and gas production at its major field in the northern section of Bohai Bay has been affected by icy weather. The Jinzhou 9-3 oilfield and the Jinzhou 20-2 gas field have been affected, it said.
According to CNOOC, large amounts of water in the Bohai Bay have frozen, forming a layer of ice up to 15cm thick. The company and its services unit, China Oilfield Services (COSL) have deployed 13 ice breakers, installed radar equipment and employed people to monitor the changing conditions in the area to ensure safe operations. CNOOC added that ice breakers are currently operating in the Jinzhou 25-1, Jinzhou 25-1 South and Suizhong 36-1 fields.
