Here’s why Chinese scientists are drilling a 10,000-metre hole into the crust of the Earth

Chinese scientists have initiated a drilling project to create a record-breaking 10,000-meter (32,808 feet) borehole into the Earth’s crust, as China explores new frontiers both above and below the planet’s surface. The drilling commenced on Tuesday in the Tarim Basin, a region rich in oil located in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The operation officially began at 11:46 am on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in China’s deep-Earth exploration efforts and providing an unprecedented opportunity to study the depths of the Earth. The borehole is being constructed in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert, which is China’s largest desert.

Prior to the drilling operation, China successfully launched its first civilian astronaut into space from the Gobi Desert on Tuesday morning, an achievement of great significance.

The narrow shaft being constructed will penetrate more than 10 layers of rocks and continental strata, weighing over 2,000 tonnes with the drill bits and drill pipes. Its ultimate target is the cretaceous system in the Earth’s crust, which contains rocks dating back approximately 145 million years, as reported.

Wang Chunsheng, a technical expert involved in the project, described the endeavor as a bold step towards exploring unknown territories and expanding human understanding. Sun Jinsheng, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, likened the construction difficulty of the project to a big truck driving on two thin steel cables, emphasizing the challenges involved.

The Tarim Basin, where the borehole is being drilled, presents formidable exploration obstacles due to its harsh ground environment and complex underground conditions.

In 2021, President Xi Jinping urged leading scientists in the nation to make greater progress in the exploration of the deep Earth during an address. Such explorations contribute to identifying mineral and energy resources and assessing the risks of environmental disasters, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

The Russian Kola Superdeep Borehole holds the record as the Earth’s deepest man-made hole, reaching a depth of 12,262 meters (40,230 feet) after 20 years of drilling in 1989. According to local claims reported by the BBC, the Kola Superdeep Borehole is so deep that one can supposedly hear the moans of tormented souls in hell.