Sinopec Group Begins Drilling the Yuejin 3-3 Oil Well at a Depth of 9,472m in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, on May 1.
China drills the deepest oil well in Asia in Xinjiang. (Video: SCMP).
The Yuejin 3-3 Well represents a significant breakthrough in ultra-deep oil and gas exploration, enhancing China’s crude oil production capabilities. Sinopec, the Chinese energy giant, aims to complete the drilling process within 170 days.
The Yuejin 3-3 well is part of the Deep Earth ultra-deep drilling project, which has already drilled 120 wells deeper than 8,000 meters in the Tarim Basin. This basin is the largest oil reservoir in China, accounting for over 60% of the country’s ultra-deep oil and gas resources on land. However, it is also one of the most challenging areas for exploration in China due to oil and gas reserves located at depths of 6,000 to 10,000 meters underground.
The Yuejin 3-3 well will be a major breakthrough in ultra-deep oil and gas exploration.
To overcome the extreme temperature and high-pressure conditions at depths exceeding 9,000 meters, Sinopec has advanced its drilling technology, positioning China among the few countries worldwide capable of drilling wells down to 10,000 meters. One of the world’s deepest oil wells, Z-44 in Russia, reaches over 12,000 meters below the surface.
“Through innovation and brainstorming, we have developed advanced technology to design drilling systems, operate, and support them in deep and complex environments, marking a breakthrough in key technologies,” said Wang Long, an expert at the Sinopec Petroleum Engineering Research Institute.
“The drilling time three years ago was 280 days, which has now been reduced to just 97 days. Meanwhile, the drilling accuracy has increased from 60% to over 90%,” Wang added.
