Sinopec says it has started drilling Asia's deepest oil, gas well in Tarim basin

Chinese state-owned Sinopec on May 4 said it had begun drilling Project Deep Earth 1-Yuejin 3-3XC well, the deepest oil and gas well in Asia, in the Tarim basin, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

With a design depth of 9,472 m, it will be a "breakthrough of milestone significance" in China's ultra-deep oil and gas exploration, it added. Located in Shaya County, the well has completed stratigraphic sealing of the upper 1,500 m in four to five days.

The drilling operation, carried out by Sinopec Oilfield Service Corporation, is estimated to reach the carboniferous strata in 21 days.

“The extensively difficult and challenging drilling operation is also setting a new Asian record for horizontal displacement in ultra-deep drilling,” Sinopec said.