Asia's deepest vertical well now reaches a depth of 5.6 miles

China's largest oil and gas producer PetroChina said on Monday that its Pengshen-6 oil well had reached a depth of 5.6 miles (9,026 meters), making it the deepest vertical well in Asia.

This is according to a report by CGTN. 

The record-breaking well is located in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The construction of the structure faced multiple challenges as the geological conditions of the well are complicated since they pass through more than ten different strata. Construction workers, therefore, had to face conditions of high temperature, pressure, and sulfur content.

Ma Yong, deputy director of the engineering technology department at the PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gasfield Company, said the new well would provide support for ultra-deep oil and gas exploration and lay the foundation for the 6.2-mile-deep (10,000 meters) scientific exploration well program to begin in 2023.

The well was drilled by a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corp in July 2021. The original design plan saw the well only reach 5 miles (7,990 meters). However, in order to further explore the oil and gas properties in the deep stratum, the drilling depth was eventually increased to 5.6 miles (9,026 meters).

9,026 meters! PetroChina announced on Feb 13 that its Pengshen 6 well in Mianyang, #Sichuan Basin has reached a depth of 9,026 m, setting a new #record for the deepest vertical well in #Asia. It is also called the "Underground Mount Everest." #SichuanSC #SichuanAnyi pic.twitter.com/QMhX3b5ECZ

— Center Sichuan Style (@SichuanStyle) February 15, 2023

Mount Everest

The construction has been referred to as an "underground Mount Qomolangma” by industry insiders, also known as Mount Everest.

"The depth is a record for the deepest vertical well in Asia, which provides a strong engineering and technical guarantee for ultra-deep oil and gas exploration in China," said Yong.

Since 2011, PetroChina has drilled eight wells of over 5 miles (8,000 meters) and two wells of over 5.6 miles (9,000 meters).

One of these wells, called the Shuangyu 001-H6 and located in the southwestern Sichuan Basin, has reached a depth of 5.6 miles (9,000 meters), setting a record for the deepest onshore gas well in China, reported CGTN.