[imagesource:wikicommons]

The most recent news out of China is not about their next breakthrough in technology or a panda bear given birth to triplets, but rather about digging one of the biggest holes ever – more than 33,000 feet (ten kilometres) deep in fact.

The objective is to investigate the Cretaceous system, a layer inside the Earth where rock dating back up to 145 million years resides. Under the leadership of China National Petroleum Corp., scientists have begun drilling into the Earth’s crust in the Taklamakan Desert.

The dig comes as President Xi called for more underground exploration in 2021, perhaps because it’s easier and cheaper than going into space, also everyone seems to have shelved underwater expeditions for a while after you-know-what went pop.

The project will however also be a demonstration of deep underground drilling tech.

The equipment, which weighs more than 2,000 tonnes, is built to endure atmospheric pressures that are 1300 times higher than on the surface and temperatures that can reach 200 degrees Celsius below ground. The hostile ground environment of the Tarim basin, which is home to China’s hottest, driest desert, adds to the difficulties in addition to the extreme vibe deep below the surface.

The 457-day expedition is not merely a show of technological prowess or amusement, but it could aid in locating energy and mineral resources and evaluating the dangers of natural catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Wang Chunsheng, a technical expert involved in the operation, described it as a bold attempt to explore the unknown territory of the Earth and expand the boundaries of human understanding.

The Xinjiang region, in particular, is known to be rich in mineral deposits and oil. Only last month, Sinopec, China’s largest refining company, found sizable oil and gas flows in an exploration well in the Tarim basin at a depth of more than 8,500 metres below the surface. So I guess we’re digging up the desert now.

Plus, it’s fun digging holes, right? There’s no such thing as half a hole, so you’re bound to get to the bottom eventually. The drilling project in China won’t go very deep though. Not by Russian standards.

The Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia still holds the record for being the deepest, having drilled down to a depth of 12,262 metres (40,230 feet) in 1989.

[source:guardian]