Chinese Scientists Complete Deepest Continental Scientific Drilling
A Chinese scientific team has achieved a world record with the deepest continental scientific drilling, aiming to understand Earth's prehistoric climate.
Chinese scientists have successfully completed the "Songliao Basin International Continental Scientific Drilling Project," setting a world record for the deepest scientific continental borehole.
The project, involving over a thousand researchers from more than 40 institutions, has achieved three world records: the deepest borehole, the longest continuous core, and the highest core recovery rate. These accomplishments provide unprecedented insights into Earth's "greenhouse climate periods."
Researchers drilled over 8,000 meters deep in the Songliao Basin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Their objective was to establish a comprehensive record of the Cretaceous period and study the climate conditions and temperatures of that era.
The drilling technique emphasizes the recovery of intact, continuous core samples, distinguishing it from standard oil drilling. Achieving a core recovery rate exceeding 95% was crucial to preserving the original state of the rock strata and ensuring the integrity of geological samples, a feat considered unprecedented globally.
Since 2006, the team led by Academician Wang Chengshan has undertaken multiple drilling operations, accumulating over 10,000 meters in total depth. They have also developed a fully independent technological system covering site selection, core handling, precise measurement, and age dating, positioning China at the forefront of continental scientific drilling.