AKSU, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- China National Petroleum Corporation announced Thursday that it has completed the drilling of the deepest vertical well in Asia, as a borehole reached a depth of 10,910 meters in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The well, known as "Shenditake 1," is a scientific exploration project. Beyond the search for oil and gas resources, the well is also designed to advance the study of the Earth's evolution and deep-Earth geology.
An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 20, 2025 shows a view of the “Shenditake 1,” an ultra-deep borehole, in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Staff members pose for a group photo as they celebrate the completion of the drilling of “Shenditake 1,” an ultra-deep borehole reaching 10,910 meters, in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
This undated picture provided by the Tarim Oilfield shows the microscopic image of a rock slice obtained at a depth of 10,000 meters underground. (Tarim Oilfield of China National Petroleum Corporation/Handout via Xinhua)
An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 20, 2025 shows a view of the “Shenditake 1,” an ultra-deep borehole, in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)■
