Chinese scientists began drilling a well 10,000 meters deep

According to Xinhua news agency, on May 30, 2023, drilling began in China's oil-rich Xinjiang region the deepest well in the country's history. The narrow shaft will enter the ground to a depth of more than 10,000 meters and will penetrate more than 10 continental layers.

Scientists hope to reach rocks of the Cretaceous system about 145 million years old.

According to the China National Petroleum Corp., which is leading the operation, the project will provide data on the Earth's internal structure as well as test deep underground drilling technology. The dive is expected to take 457 days.

Exploring the depths of the Cretaceous system can help identify mineral and energy resources and help assess risks of environmental disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The deepest man-made well on Earth is still the Russian Kola Superdeep (SG-3) near Murmansk, which is 12,262 meters deep. Its upper part is only 92 cm in diameter and its lower part is 21.5 cm. After a series of accidents in 1991, the well was mothballed - after 20 years of drilling.