For 26 years, he has consistently and fully completed the work tasks assigned by superiors; for 26 years, from the highlands of northern Tibet to the deep mountains and valleys of eastern Tibet, he has accumulated over 50,000 meters of drilling footage in areas with an average altitude of over 5,000 meters. He is Xiangba Zhaxi, deputy manager of the Engineering Survey Department of the Sixth Geological Brigade of the Tibet Autonomous Region Geological and Mineral Exploration and Development Bureau.
“Although the plateau is harsh, being able to work on the front line of geological exploration for the motherland makes me very happy and proud!” said this 1.8-meter-tall Khampa man with a smile.
Since starting work in July 1991, Xiangba Zhaxi has worked in positions such as driller, rig team leader, and rig manager. Working in geology in Tibet means dealing with extreme cold, hardship, and even danger: often only one meal a day, operating drilling rigs continuously for 12 hours in blizzards in frigid zones, carrying equipment and building roads while advancing in uninhabited areas, and frequently facing water shortages in work areas due to freezing temperatures……
In Xiangba Zhaxi's memory, the project construction in Shenzha County, Nagqu Prefecture in 2011 left a particularly deep impression. “The construction period on the plateau is relatively short. It was only October, and while working, the water in the pipes froze. To ensure the schedule, we had to use blowtorches to heat it at night, and we could only pump water by noon the next day.” Xiangba Zhaxi recalled, “Despite the hardship, these projects are key national scientific research projects related to national strategic resource security. No matter how hard or difficult, it's worth it!”
“Already high altitude and oxygen-deficient, plus the tight schedule, Xiangba Zhaxi insists on leading shifts on the rig for 12 hours each time, and after changing shifts, he still has meetings to study work.” Zhang Qizhi, chief engineer of the Sixth Geological Brigade of the Tibet Geological Exploration Bureau, told reporters that in order to give colleagues more rest time, Xiangba Zhaxi always rushes to do miscellaneous tasks like lighting the stove, cleaning, washing vegetables, and cooking. “He hardly pursues material comforts and finds joy in hardship.”
At the same time, Xiangba Zhaxi's work performance is also remarkable: he has participated in more than 20 drilling projects, including the Yulong Copper Mine major campaign in Qamdo, Tibet, and the national energy strategic reserve geological survey campaign in northern Tibet; he has worked in frigid areas for over 7,000 days cumulatively, with the highest field operation point exceeding 6,000 meters above sea level. The high-altitude and high-load work has caused Xiangba Zhaxi to suffer from stomach problems, high blood pressure, retinal congestion, otitis media, and other diseases, sometimes even experiencing blurred vision and persistent headaches.
“I will eventually retire and need to pass on my skills and experience.” Xiangba Zhaxi has compiled the key points and tips of mechanical operation accumulated over the long term into a booklet and selflessly mentored others, having trained several technical experts and business backbone personnel.