A major section of the Liwan 3-1 offshore gas field project in the South China Sea was completed, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

The topside portion of the central platform, the largest in Asia, was put in place. The connecting pipes, made, designed and installed by the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), were also put in place.

The Liwan 3-1 gas field, lying in an average water depth of 1,300 meters, is expected to start operations later this year, with an estimated gas output of 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas every year, mainly supplying southern parts of China.