Crew members' life on CNOOC 981 in South China Sea Crew members have a meal in the cafeteria on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in t...

Crew members' life on CNOOC 981 in South China Sea

Crew members have a meal in the cafeteria on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in the South China Sea, south China, May 9, 2012. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Photo taken on May 9, 2012 shows the laundry on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in the South China Sea, south China. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

A chef makes meals for crew members on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in the South China Sea, south China, May 9, 2012. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

A chef takes vegetable from a cold storage on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in the South China Sea, south China, May 9, 2012. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Photo taken on May 9, 2012 shows a corridor of the living area on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in the South China Sea, south China. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Crew members take exercise in the gym on deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 in the South China Sea, south China, May 9, 2012. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

China's first deep-water drilling rig CNOOC 981 started operations in the South China Sea at 9: 38 a.m. on Wednesday, marking "a substantial step" made by the country's deep-sea oil industry.

The rig can accommodate about 160 crew members. The sixth-generation semi-submersible CNOOC 981 began drilling in a sea area 320 km southeast of Hong Kong at a water depth of 1,500 meters, according to China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), the country's largest offshore oil producer.