Drilling deeper than ever before

Engineers from Baoji Oilfield Machinery, which is affiliated with China National Petroleum Corp, work on the maintenance of the Shenditake 1 well. (Jing Tian/China Daily)

In a feat of human perseverance and ingenuity, on March 4, the diamond-tipped drill boring deep into the Earth at the Tarim Basin in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, successfully crossed the 10,000-meter mark.

The drill hole, named Shenditake 1, with a designed depth of 11,100 meters is China's deepest well for scientific exploration, according to China National Petroleum Corp, its operator.

The progress made on the borehole signifies a major breakthrough for China in the field of deep-Earth exploration, following the country's deep-space and deep-sea scientific endeavors.

Since drilling began on May 30, hundreds of oil workers and scientific personnel have steadfastly persevered in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert, facing a relentless 270-day battle against extreme temperatures, severe cold, sandstorms and complex geological conditions. Meanwhile, the borehole has penetrated 13 continental strata, with more than 1,000 drill pipes driven into the ground.

Shenditake 1 is of milestone significance in deep-Earth scientific research and ultradeep oil and gas exploration, said Luo Zuoxian, head of intelligence and research at the Sinopec Economics and Development Research Institute. The major milestone in the country's exploration of deep energy resources will help further guarantee China's national energy security, he said.

On a scientific research level, the ultradeep well can also help explore the evolution of the planet and the origins of life, as well as better address climate change, disaster prevention and resource utilization. Compared to a regular oil well, the scientific exploration well can explore unknown depths previously unexplored, said the CNPC.