ANKARA

China claimed the discovery of an 'ultra-shallow' gas field in the South China Sea, state-run media reported on Wednesday.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) said the original gas in place (OGIP) of the Lingshui 36-1 gas field -- the world's first large, ultra-shallow gas field in ultra-deep waters -- has been estimated at more than 100 billion cubic meters, Xinhua News reported.

According to the company, the relevant authorities have approved the data.

CNOOC also estimated that the OGIP of the Yinggehai, Qiongdongnan, and Zhujiangkou basins in the South China Sea is more than 1 trillion cubic meters.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid