(Yicai Global) Oct. 30 -- The research group of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei in China's east-central Anhui Province, has made impressive breakthroughs in developing seismic exploration equipment for offshore oil.

New data-acquisition equipment finished its first offshore test, paving the way for further industrialization of complete equipment sets.

USTC and China National Offshore Oil Corp. [HK:0883] (CNOOC) jointly undertook the project, state-run Xinhua News agency reported yesterday. A two-day test of the equipment conducted on the Bohai Sea in northeastern China included relevant indicators such as depth of cable subsidence, length of data record and sampling rate. The test collected seismic data from 160 kilometers to satisfy relevant test requirements.

All offshore seismic exploration equipment in China is imported, a factor which has severely inhibited offshore oil exploration and vitiated China's competitiveness in international markets. Cooperation between USTC and CNOOC will pave the way for the localization of complete equipment sets.

Seismic exploration refers to the deduction of the properties and forms of rocks by transmitting artificial seismic waves underground, and is an important means to explore for oil, natural gas and other resources.