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Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
In recent years, China has launched many ambitious projects. Among these are the New Silk Road initiative and efforts to lead in the production of batteries for electric cars and solar panels. Another goal is to harness its desert regions, which has led to the construction of large solar farms and the drilling of deep wells.
One notable project is the Shendi Take-1 vertical well, which reaches nearly 7 miles in depth. It represents a remarkable engineering achievement and is expected to be highly profitable.
Taklamakan Desert. Located in the far western region of China, the Taklamakan Desert is vast and rich in resources. The area is believed to house one of the country’s most promising oil and gas reserves. Oil company China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) is actively exploiting the area, with more than a hundred wells in operation.
However, the oil reserves are deeply buried, estimated to lie between 19,700 and 32,800 feet below the surface. In November 2023, Sinopec inaugurated Project Deep Earth 1-Yuejin 3-3XC, a 31,000-foot-deep well, to extract oil from ultra-deep layers. While this was a notable achievement in terms of speed, it’s since been surpassed by a rival company’s well.
Shendi Take-1. The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has constructed the Shendi Take-1 vertical well in the same desert. It’s Asia’s deepest vertical well at 6.8 miles. The CNPC well has confirmed the presence of natural gas at that depth. One of its primary purposes will be to extract these resources.
A remarkable feat. The Shendi Take-1 is remarkable not only for its depth but also for the fact that it “only” took 580 days to reach this point. The most challenging part of the drilling process was the final 3,000 feet, which took 300 days.
The last 3,000 feet took longer than the first 32,800 because, according to the drilling platform’s director, “every additional [foot] increases drilling complexity exponentially. "
A different drill bit. The temperature increases significantly as you go deeper into the Earth’s crust. At a depth of 6 miles, temperatures can exceed 410 degrees Fahrenheit, and the pressure is immense. This has led CNPC to develop an automated drilling rig capable of reaching depths of more than 7 miles.
The drill heads, equipped with diamond bits, are designed to withstand these high temperatures. Engineers have also developed a coolant to dissipate heat at these extreme ambient temperatures effectively. Bolts and other components can also survive under these conditions.
This advancement isn’t solely for this particular well. China aims to lead in ultra-deep drilling operations going forward. Impressively, 90% of the tools used in this effort are produced domestically, allowing for easier replication of the tunnel boring machines without the need for extensive imports.
Dual purpose. Beyond extracting oil and gas, the Shendi Take-1 well will facilitate geological exploration. When completed, the well will have penetrated 13 layers of the Earth. The rock CNPC is currently drilling is more than 500 million years old.
Unfinished business. CNPC has confirmed that the goal is to reach a depth of 7 miles. At this depth, the team will access the 13th layer of the Earth, nearing the operational limits of the drilling platform. This will enable a better study of the planet’s interior. It’ll also allow China to exploit one of the most challenging oil reserves globally, where 60% of the resources are found at these depths.
However, despite these efforts, China won’t surpass the SG-3 well, known as the Kola Superdeep Borehole. The Soviet Union took 19 years to reach a depth of 7.6 miles. The well was primarily intended for lithospheric research. In contrast, the Shendi Take-1 will both satisfy scientific curiosity and allow for the extraction of valuable resources.
Images | China National Petroleum Corporation
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