Drilling on a new swath of ultra-deep oil wells in Taklamakan Desert, starts after holiday

Photo taken on July 7, 2017, shows Keshen 605 well at the Tarim Oilfield in Aksu, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Xinhua)

Drilling on a new swath of ultra-deep crude oil wells in the depths of the Taklamakan Desert, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has started after the Spring Festival holiday, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.

It marks the work on building China's largest ultra-deep crude production base is making progress, analysts say.

The oil wells have a depth of over 6,000 meters, with some wells designed to reach depths of over 9,000 meters below the surface.

The move came as China seeks to ramp up its domestic oil and gas production by tapping energy reserves deep underground, leveraging advanced drilling technology.

At one well operated by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China's leading oil and gas producer, the workers have reported that they have drilled 1,000 meters in 12 hours, with a target completion time of 95 days, according to CCTV.

An executive at the Tarim Oilfield, located in the desert, noted that 34 new wells are planned for drilling in 2025.

In 2024, the oil and gas production at the Tarim Oilfield from a depth of 6,000 meters surpassed 20 million tons, marking a new milestone, the CNPC announced in January.

Tarim Basin is a major petroliferous basin in Northwest China, producing about one-sixth of China's total natural gas output, according to Xinhua News Agency.