China Is Drilling More Than 8 Kilometres Beneath the Taklimakan Desert
China’s Fuman Oilfield has produced more than 26 million tonnes of oil and gas from ultra-deep formations below 6,000 metres. Engineers have now recovered rock cores from 8,080 metres underground, reaching rocks roughly 500 million years old.
The core samples could help scientists understand the ancient rocks and determine their potential to generate and store hydrocarbons. Ultra-deep drilling is extremely challenging because temperature, pressure and rock hardness increase dramatically with depth.
The achievement highlights how modern drilling technology is allowing humans to explore some of Earth’s deepest accessible geological layers—while also expanding China’s ultra-deep oil and gas production.
Sources: China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), CCTV, Global Times
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