Why is China digging another ultra-deep hole into the Earth?

Merely months after launching its 10,000-metre-deep drilling project into the Earth’s crust, China on Thursday began its second ultra-deep drilling venture in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The first operation to dig the country’s deepest-ever borehole was launched in the Tarim Basin, located in the oil-rich Xinjiang region in May this year. Leading the latest endeavour is China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), which started drilling the Shendi Chuanke 1 Well in Sichuan province with an intended depth of 10,520 metres (about 6.5 miles). But what’s the reason behind this second expedition? Let’s take a look. Also read: China's 'full-time children': What does it say about the economy? China is digging another hole This time, the Chinese initiative aims to investigate natural gas reserves at very deep depths, according to news agency Xinhua. The exploration of Chuanke-1, according to state news outlet China Electric Power News, is a part of the Deep Earth Drilling Project, which is a component of a larger infrastructure to provide “an important foundation and support for China’s future scientific research and oil and gas resource development.” The drilling of ultra-deep wells, which can reach depths of over 9,000 metres, is said to present the greatest technical difficulties for the oil and gas engineering sector. The current project in Sichuan is mainly intended to find ultra-deep natural gas reserves, whereas the previous well in Xinjiang had an experimental purpose, primarily testing drilling methods and gathering data on the Earth’s interior structure. The expedition comes after the Chinese government recently ordered energy businesses to strengthen fuel security by increasing domestic production in response to power shortages, geopolitical unrest, and fluctuating worldwide prices. According to China Electric Power News, the team’s goal is to develop an international and world-class technical team in China as well as collect geological data from 10,000 metres below the surface to update theories regarding oil and gas accumulation. According to the deputy manager of the project Ding Wei, “the 10,000-meter-deep exploration project is a major national project comparable to the lunar exploration project.” Also read: Why is China drilling its deepest-ever hole into Earth’s crust? Sichuan is home to the country’s largest shale gas reserves Some of China’s largest shale gas resources are found in Sichuan, a province known for its hot food, stunning mountain scenery, and pandas. However, because of the rough terrain and complicated geological conditions, obtaining these resources has been difficult. Sinopec, an oil and gas firm with headquarters in Beijing, has been looking for conventional gas in the Sichuan Basin’s deep marine carbonate rocks and shale gas hydrocarbons. The Puguang, Yuanba, and Chuanxi gas fields were found, reported South China Morning Post. The Chuanke-1 project will be carried out by PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gasfield Company. A new ultra-deep natural gas storage location is anticipated to be found if the drilling is successful. Challenges  The complex geological structure and the extremely hot temperature at 10,000 metres below the surface are among the difficulties, the report said. The Chinese outlet quoted chief engineer Yang Yu as saying, the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest ocean in the world, has a seawater pressure of 138 MegaPascal, which is far greater than the temperature of 224 degrees Celsius (435 degrees Fahrenheit) at which metal drilling tools can become “as soft as noodles” below 10,000 metres. Also read: Is a love affair responsible for Chinese foreign minister going missing? The first drilling operation China first started drilling over a 10,000-meter (32,808 feet) hole in the Earth’s crust in the month of May 2023. Xinhua had stated that the project “represents a landmark in China’s deep Earth exploration, providing an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of the planet deep beneath the surface.” According to Bloomberg, Chinese president Xi Jinping advocated for advances in deep Earth exploration while speaking to the nation’s top scientists earlier in 2021. The paper said that the expedition could can help scientists unearth rich minerals and energy resources and also be helpful for assessing the risks of environmental catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Oil and mineral reserves are said to be plentiful in the Xinjiang area. Meanwhile, the world’s deepest man-made hole, the Kola Superdeep Borehole, is located in northwest Russia and reaches an astounding depth of 12,262 metres. Natural gas supply - a major concern China has risen to the fourth-largest natural gas producer in the world since 2021, and its natural gas supply has already surpassed its oil supply. In light of recent geopolitical unrest, electricity shortages, and fluctuating global prices, the neighbouring country has grown increasingly concerned about its energy security, according to SCMP. Thus, Xi Jinping-led country aims to meet a greater portion of its own energy needs by 2025 while promoting increased domestic oil and gas production and international collaboration on clean energy. With inputs from agencies