China has initiated an unprecedented drilling project to explore ultra-deep natural gas reserves in the Sichuan province. PetroChina Shendi Southwest Oil and Chuanke Gasfield 1 Well, located in the southeastern province of Sichuan, is the site of this ambitious undertaking. The project aims to drill a 10,000-meter-deep hole into the Earth’s crust to uncover potential energy resources.
Sichuan, renowned for its breathtaking mountain scenery, spicy cuisine, and adorable pandas, is also home to some of China’s most significant shale gas deposits. However, extracting these resources has proven challenging due to complex underground geology and difficult terrain, limiting success for the nation’s state-owned oil giants.
The current drilling project follows China National Petroleum Corp.’s previous attempt in Xinjiang, which, at the time, was described as the deepest well in China. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the world’s deepest man-made hole is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in northwest Russia, reaching a staggering depth of 12,262 meters.
Ultradeep wells, such as the one being drilled in Sichuan, are considered one of the most technically challenging projects in the oil and gas engineering industry. The drilling process involves numerous obstacles, including deep burial depth, a narrow pressure window, thick gravel layers, salt beds, a complex multipressure system, and high temperatures and pressures.
The 10,000-meter-deep shaft in Xinjiang will penetrate more than 10 continental strata before reaching the cretaceous system layers of rock in the Earth’s crust, dating back 145 million years. This era marked the assembly of two continents, Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.
While the previous drilling project in Xinjiang focused on experimental drilling technologies and Earth’s internal structure, the current undertaking in Sichuan has a specific goal: to explore ultra-deep natural gas reserves. Known as the Chuanke Gasfield 1 Well, this endeavor is part of the broader Deep Earth drilling project, aiming to provide crucial foundations and support for China’s future scientific research and oil and gas resource development.
China’s emphasis on energy security has led to increased pressure on energy companies to boost domestic production. The nation has faced significant power shortages during recent heatwaves, prompting a focus on enhancing fuel security. Post-2021, China has surpassed its oil production with its supply of natural gas, becoming the world’s largest producer of this vital energy resource. The success of the current drilling project in Sichuan could prove pivotal in addressing China’s energy demands and contributing to its future scientific and economic growth. As the drilling operations continue, the world watches with anticipation to see what discoveries lie beneath the Earth’s surface and what it means for China’s energy landscape
Source:
https://groundreport.in/why-is-china-drilling-a-hole-more-than-10000-metres-deep/
