Chinese scientists start drilling a 10,000-meter well

Miscellaneous / by admin / June 01, 2023

Almost Kola superdeep, but in the middle of the desert.

Drilling of the deepest well in the country's history began on May 30 in China's oil-rich Xinjiang region, according to the Xinhua news agency. The narrow shaft will enter the ground to a depth of more than 10,000 meters and will pass through more than 10 continental layers.

Scientists hope to reach rocks from the Cretaceous system about 145 million years old.

The complexity of building a drilling project can be compared to the movement of a large truck on two thin steel cables.”

Sun Jinsheng

scientist from the Chinese Academy of Engineering

According to China National Petroleum Corp., which is leading the operation, the project will provide data on the internal structure of the Earth, as well as test deep underground drilling technologies. The dive is expected to take 457 days.

Exploring the depths of the Cretaceous system can help identify mineral and energy resources and help assess the risks of environmental disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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The deepest man-made well on Earth is still Russia's Kola Superdeep (SG-3) near Murmansk, which has a depth of 12,262 meters. The diameter of its upper part is only 92 cm, and the lower part is 21.5 cm. After a series of accidents in 1991, the well was mothballed after 20 years of drilling.