Electrification of Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Progress, Challenges, and Outlook

Driven by the “dual carbon” goals and energy transition, electrification of offshore oil and gas development has become an inevitable choice for sustainable development in the industry. This paper systematically analyzes the technological progress, challenges, and future directions of electrification transformation. Research shows that electrification technologies, through systemic restructuring, intelligent upgrades, and integration with renewable energy, can significantly reduce operational costs and environmental risks, promoting the industry’s shift toward deeper waters, digitalization, and green low-carbon development. In recent years, key technologies such as all-electric subsea wells, shore power integration, and floating wind power supply have made breakthrough progress. The deep integration of digital twin and intelligent technologies—such as using digital twins for predictive maintenance of subsea equipment and real-time optimization of power flow in hybrid energy systems has further enhanced system efficiency. However, the electrification transformation still faces challenges such as high initial investment, technical reliability, and environmental regulation. Considering the current situation in China, it is recommended to strengthen R&D in core technologies, build an integrated “source-grid-load-storage” energy supply system, improve policies and standards, and promote deep integration of renewable energy to achieve coordinated development of energy exploitation and environmental protection. This study provides theoretical support and practical pathways for the low-carbon transition of the offshore oil and gas industry.