Earth
A drilling project in the Taklamakan desert is aiming to reach more than 11,000 metres below Earth’s surface as China explores the deep earth for resources
By James Dinneen
The Shendi Take 1 drilling site in Xinjiang, China, in May 2023
Xinhua/Shutterstock
This year, the China National Petroleum Corporation started drilling what will be the deepest hole in China and be among the deepest holes in the world, in the north-western province of Xinjiang.
An announcement in May from China’s state-run news agency Xinhua said the project was “an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of the planet deep beneath the surface”, drilling down more than 11,000 metres into the billion-year-old strata of the remote Taklamakan desert.
The project’s more…
No commitment, cancel anytime*
Offer ends 28th October 2023.
*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.
Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)
or
Existing subscribers
Sign in to your account
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
