Drilling of China’s first 10,000m-deep borehole completes halfway

The drilling depth of what is targeted to be China’s first borehole over 10,000 meters reached 6,000 meters in northeast China’s Tarim Basin on Sunday.

With a design depth of 11,100 meters, the borehole is located in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in China, within the Tarim Basin of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

China began the drilling this May. It represents a landmark in the country’s deep-Earth exploration.

During the drilling process, the equipment, including drill bits and drill pipes weighing more than 2,000 tonnes, went deep into the Earth, penetrating more than 10 continental strata.

The Tarim Basin is one of the most difficult areas to explore due to its harsh ground environment and complicated underground conditions.

(Cover: The drilling project for a borehole over 10,000 meters deep in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert within the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, August 21, 2023. /Xinhua)

(With input from Xinhua)