Workers testing equipment at the first made-in-China deepwater drilling rig - the Haiyangshiyou 981 semi-submersible deepwater rig - in the South China Sea. The rig has begun to drill a well in a part of the sea known as 43/11 block that is jointly being explored by China National Offshore Oil Corp, BP Plc and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Photos by Zhao Liang / For China Daily
 
Editor's note:"To be or not to be". The State-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp may understand it well. It plans a blueprint for deepwater oil and gas development and believes such a move is crucial for its future business survival and the country's oil industry as well. The company's nearly $840 million semi-submersible deepwater rig, which was put into service this month in the South China Sea, reflects CNOOC's resolve for development. In this edition, China Daily presents a selection of pictures showing the people's daily lives and work on the country's first deepwater drilling rig.