China starts drilling superdeep borehole in landmark deep-Earth exploration
An oil well of Tarim Oilfield at Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang. Photographer: Tan Hui/VCG/Getty Images
The drilling of China's first borehole over 10,000 meters deep for scientific exploration began on Tuesday in the Tarim Basin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The operation started at 11:46am on Tuesday. It represents a landmark in China's deep-Earth exploration, providing an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of the planet deep beneath the surface.
With a design depth of 11,100 metres, the borehole is located in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in China.
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During the drilling process, the equipment, including drill bits and drill pipes weighing more than 2,000 tonnes, will go deep into the Earth, penetrating more than 10 continental strata, including the Cretaceous system.
