把这篇文章中的第一段翻译成英文。


【原文】中国南海北部海域发现大型天然气田 15年后可开始采掘
在中国南海北部海域，中国海油在深水区发现一个面积约1200平方公里、有望拥有上百亿立方米储量的大型天然气田，该发现可填补中国南海天然气供应的空白。根据中国石油天然气集团公司（中石油）旗下的《石油经济技术研究》杂志2016第03期文章，发现的天然气田属于震旦系碳酸盐岩气藏，地质年代距今约3.6亿年，埋深逾3000米。
A large natural gas field has been discovered in the northern part of the South China Sea, which covers an area of about 1,200 square kilometers and is expected to have a reserve of billions of cubic meters of natural gas. The discovery can fill the gap in natural gas supply in the South China Sea, according to an article in the March 2016 issue of Petroleum Economics and Technology Research, a publication of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). The gas field belongs to the Sinian carbonate gas reservoir and has a geological age of about 360 million years, with a burial depth of over 3,000 meters. It will be available for exploitation in 15 years.