China’s Pioneering Scientific Exploration Well Nears 10,000-Meter Depth
Xinjiang, The Gulf Observer: China’s groundbreaking scientific exploration well, Shendi Take-1, situated in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is on the verge of breaking through the remarkable 10,000-meter depth mark, according to the latest reports.
As of the most recent update on Sunday, the drilling of Shendi Take-1 has reached an impressive depth of 9,850 meters. A new set of drill bits has been installed to facilitate the continuation of the digging process, as the scientific exploration well endeavors to explore uncharted territory that delves into the evolution of Earth, the origin of life, climate change, disaster prevention, and resource utilization.
The challenges faced during the drilling intensified as the depth increased. Project staff revealed that 26 drill bits have been utilized thus far, with 14 of them dedicated to covering a distance of approximately 1,800 meters below the 8,000-meter mark. This highlights the difficulties associated with ultra-deep drilling, where the lifespan of a drill bit can significantly decrease from 2,000 meters to 140 meters.
Located in the Tarim Basin, China’s largest petroliferous basin, the Shendi Take-1 well explores ultra-deep oil and gas resources. The Tarim Basin poses unique challenges as its oil and gas reserves lie between 6,000 and 10,000 meters underground, constituting 83.2 percent and 63.9 percent of the total, respectively. The natural gas produced from deep formations below 4,500 meters in the Tarim Basin has exceeded 260 billion cubic meters.
The drilling process employs the world’s first 12,000-meter deep well automated drilling rig, featuring nearly 200 cutting-edge domestically developed components. Standing at 82 meters tall, equivalent to a 24-story building, the rig’s lifting capacity has been expanded from 300-400 tonnes to a maximum of 900 tonnes. Equipped with complex robotic arms, the rig minimizes labor costs and enhances safety performance. Additionally, it embraces a full-process Internet of Things (IoT) system, ensuring real-time monitoring and remote transmission of equipment status and operating parameters in the challenging environment of high temperature and high pressure.
The progress of the Shendi Take-1 well not only underscores China’s technological prowess in deep drilling but also reflects the nation’s commitment to advancing scientific exploration for the benefit of understanding our planet’s history and resources.
