China successfully completes drilling of over 10000 meters deep well

10910 meters, a new breakthrough has been made in the deep earth field

Recently, the first ultra ten thousand meter exploration well in China, Well Shendi Taco 1, was completed in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, with a drilling depth of 10910 meters, making it the first vertical well in Asia and the second vertical well in the world, setting a number of engineering records such as the world's fastest onshore drilling breakthrough of ten thousand meters, and the Asia's deepest onshore coring

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that 'advancing into the deep parts of the earth is a strategic technological issue that we must address'

On the ground, a red and white drilling rig stands tall, over 20 stories high; Underground, the "Mount Everest" is composed of more than 1130 drill rods connected together, drilling through 12 sets of formations and opening up a 10000 meter passage to the depths of the Earth

Over the course of nearly 600 days and nights, the drilling of the Deep Earth Taco 1 well encountered rocks from over 500 million years ago, marking the world's first discovery of oil and gas indications at depths of tens of thousands of meters on land. This is a milestone in the fields of deep earth science research and ultra deep oil and gas exploration. What are the stories behind the renewed depth of China? The reporter conducted an interview

"Looking for oil and gas in the ultra deep layer is like standing on the top of Mount Everest and seeing the cruise ships on the the Yarlung Zangbo River"

"Looking for oil and gas in the ultra deep layer is like standing on the top of Mount Everest and seeing the cruise ships on the the Yarlung Zangbo River." The oil and gas industry often says that

One deep brings ten thousand difficulties. The radius of the Earth is approximately 6371 kilometers, and the maximum depth at which humans have entered the Earth is currently 12.262 kilometers. If we compare the Earth to an egg, then current exploration is still limited to the eggshell level

The difficulty lies in the complex changes in the lithology of the strata

The deep drilling of Well 1 in the Tarim Basin has penetrated 12 sets of rock formations with different rock types and pressure systems. The geological structure is complex and varied, making it prone to accidents such as wellbore collapse, drilling jamming, and malignant well leakage. The rock layers are alternately soft and hard. Just after drilling through the hard siliceous rock like diamond, the next meter may encounter a soft and gelatinous rock layer, and the cutting teeth of the drill bit are particularly prone to damage, "said Wang Qinghua, Executive Director and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of China Petroleum Tarim Oilfield Company

Every time there is a change in the lithology of the formation, it is necessary to replace the corresponding drill bit and adjust the various ratios of the drilling fluid. In the middle and shallow layers near the surface, a single drill bit can achieve a maximum daily footage of 600 meters; At depths of tens of thousands of meters, if the average daily drilling depth of the drill bit does not exceed 30 meters, it will wear out almost smoothly

The second difficulty lies in the ultra-high temperature and pressure underground

As the depth of the formation increases, the temperature and pressure also increase. The maximum temperature and pressure underground of Well 1 in Shendi Taco are 220 degrees Celsius and 145 megapascals, which is equivalent to an area the size of a fingernail and can withstand a weight of over 1.4 tons. Conventional drilling tools and materials are difficult to adapt to such harsh working conditions and are highly susceptible to damage or failure

The three difficulties lie in the excessive weight, tonnage, and torque of the drill pipe

The surface wellbore of Deep Well Tako 1 has a diameter of over 57 centimeters. The wellbore is downward, with over 1130 drill rods connected at the beginning and end, and a self weight of over 350 tons. The thinnest drill rod is only the thickness of the cup mouth, and under high temperature and pressure conditions, it is as soft as noodles, with a high risk of fracture. Not only that, the wellbore below ten thousand meters is like an ant nest, with extremely narrow space. A drill pipe with overweight tonnage and super high torque may not be able to rotate 1 circle underground when it rotates 10 circles on the surface. If the drill pipe's torsional or tensile resistance is not good, it is easy to encounter problems

Below 9000 meters deep, there are no adjacent well parameters to refer to. Every one meter down, it feels like a road has been carved out in an uninhabited area The most unforgettable experience for Wang Chunsheng, the chief of Well 1 in Deepfield, was when the drill bit was only 23 meters away from 10000 meters, and the drill rod suddenly broke in the well, causing problems such as drill jamming and blockage. After 15 days of continuous fighting, the problem was finally solved

Drilling of Well 1 in Deep Earth, from the surface to 10000 meters, took 279 days; The final 910 meters took over 300 days

Innovation leads the way, making the ten thousand meter formation "visible", "accessible", and "extractable". Advancing into the ten thousand meter deep earth, facing multiple world-class challenges and extreme challenges. In order to ensure the successful and good drilling of Well 1 in Deepfield, China Petroleum has collaborated with several enterprises, research institutions, and universities, totaling tens of thousands of people, to conduct intelligent research and development

- With the help of 3D geophysical technology, make the 10000 meter geological layer "visible"

Geophysical exploration is equivalent to performing a "CT" scan on the Earth, which can reveal the geological information of the well location. During the drilling process of Well 1 in Deep Earth, Dongfang Geophysical relied on three-dimensional geophysical technology to use seismic waves for high-definition imaging of the 10000 meter formation, achieving pre drilling warning and mid drilling prediction, and providing support for tool and instrument preparation and process technology optimization; CNOOC logging uses cutting-edge techniques such as electrical, acoustic, nuclear, and magnetic methods to achieve centimeter level accurate calibration of all drilled formations, polishing the "eyes" for exploring ultra deep formations

The successful completion of the drilling of Well 1 in Deep Earth has verified the correctness of our understanding of geological theory at depths of over ten thousand meters. The geological prediction and actual drilling results are basically consistent, with a depth error of less than 1% Sun Chonghao, the project manager of risk exploration research at Tarim Oilfield Exploration and Development Research Institute, said

- Apply domestic equipment such as 12000 meter drilling rigs to make the 10000 meter formation "accessible"

Drilling rig, the "power engine" for drilling. During the operation of Well 1 in Deepfield, the maximum tonnage during casing installation reached 665 tons, and the lifting capacity of conventional drilling rigs cannot meet the drilling requirements. China National Petroleum Corporation has independently developed the world's first 12000 meter automated drilling rig on land, with a maximum load capacity of 900 tons

Drill bit, the "iron teeth and copper teeth" for drilling. Different rock formations require adaptation to different drill bit selection, tooth arrangement and distribution, and tool matching. The project team independently developed superhard composite sheets and high-end drill bits to fully ensure drilling speed

Drilling fluid, the 'circulating blood' of drilling. It has multiple functions such as carrying rock debris, balancing formation pressure, and cooling the drill bit. During the drilling process, if the temperature and pressure resistance are insufficient, it is prone to failure. After hundreds of formula adjustments and thousands of system tests, the research team has developed a water-based drilling fluid that can withstand 220 degrees Celsius, meeting the needs of complex working conditions

- Develop a complete set of high-strength core extraction tools to "extract" tens of thousands of meters of core

As a section cut of underground rocks, rock cores are the only physical data available for humans to understand the depths of the Earth. Jiang Tongwen, Chief Geologist of China National Petroleum Corporation, introduced that in response to the challenges of high strength and easy fragmentation of relevant strata, the project team has pioneered a high-strength rock core tool that can withstand 240 degrees Celsius and an efficient rock breaking core drill bit. They have successfully harvested 12.64 meters of rock core, which is as precious as "lunar soil"

Breaking through 10000 meters means that China's oil and gas engineering technology has entered a new stage of development, representing the initial construction of a highland of 10000 meter deep drilling and completion technology and a source of original technology Sun Jinsheng, academician of the CAE Member, said

Secure your energy bowl and unravel the mysteries of the deep earth

Advancing into the depths of the Earth, every meter is a challenge to the unknown, every inch is a breakthrough to the limit, and the difficulty is no less than "Jiaolong" going into the sea or "Chang'e" exploring the moon. Is it necessary to enter this ten thousand meter journey?

This is a solid support for securing the energy bowl

Data shows that 60% of the world's newly added oil and gas reserves come from deep formations, and China's deep and ultra deep oil and gas resources reach 67.1 billion tons of oil equivalent, accounting for about 34% of the country's total oil and gas resources. In the Tarim Basin, where Well Shendi Taco 1 is located, a super deep oil and gas well can produce more than 1000 tons of oil and gas equivalent per day, which is equivalent to the output of dozens or even hundreds of shallow gas wells

Advancing deep into the earth is the inevitable path for China's future oil and gas development According to He Jiangchuan, Vice President of China National Petroleum Corporation, PetroChina has discovered a 1 billion ton oil field and 3 trillion cubic meter atmospheric zones at depths of 6000 to 9000 meters in Xinjiang, Sichuan, and other regions. From 2017 to 2024, the number of ultra deep wells with a depth of 6000 meters by PetroChina increased from 100 to 1860, and the number of ultra deep wells with a depth of 8000 meters by PetroChina increased from 0 to 208

This is the key to unlocking the mysteries of the deep earth

10001 meters, gray white powder crystal dolomite; 10780 meters, mud golden cloud limestone; At a depth of 10906 meters, graphite colored mudstone... Under the microscope, the rock samples taken during the drilling process of Well 1 in the deep Tarim Basin have different colors and shapes

Chinese petroleum researchers have created the first 10000 meter geological profile map in Asia based on geological samples and data such as rock cores, rock cuttings, and logging, providing first-hand physical information for deep earth scientific exploration and oil and gas exploration, and strongly supporting research on major basic scientific issues such as the deep structure and material composition of the Earth, global evolution, and climate change

This is a practical training for strengthening and supplementing industrial chains

The casing should be resistant to compression. Baosteel's independently developed products have key indicators such as steel grade and sealing performance that are more than 20% higher than the highest steel grade casing; The conventional drilling rig has insufficient lifting capacity, and China Petroleum Gemstone Machinery has designed the world's first 12000 meter automated drilling rig on land; Drill bits need to be hard core, and Sinopec Jiangzuan Company provides high-strength, wear-resistant, high toughness, and impact resistant composite sheets... Working together to overcome challenges, complementing each other's advantages, and forming an innovative synergy

The drilling of Well 1 in Deep Earth has formed an independent and controllable key core technology system of 10000 meters, which promotes the iterative upgrading of key equipment, tools, and materials for deep drilling in China Introduction by Wang Qinghua. Taking domestic drill bits as an example, the price has decreased by nearly half compared to imported drill bits, but the drilling speed has increased by about 50%, and the relevant technical indicators are at the international advanced level

Looking back, in the 1970s, China's first well with a depth exceeding 7000 meters was drilled. From 7000 meters to breaking through 8000 meters, it took 29 years; From 8000 meters to stepping into 9000 meters, it took 15 years; From 9000 meters to breaking through the 10000 meter barrier, it only took 3 years

10910 meters is not the finish line. The pace of Chinese people's deep exploration is faster and farther