"The successful implementation of offshore drilling marks that China's geological work has expanded from land to sea, and we are striding forward from a major geological country toward a geological power," said Xu Zhiqin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, at the "Senior Academic Symposium on the Latest Progress in Deep Drilling and Offshore Drilling" held in Yantai a few days ago.

At this senior academic symposium, hosted by the Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration and Development and organized by the Shandong No. 3 Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration, more than 80 experts and scholars—including Jin Zhenmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Dilek, vice president of the International Union of Geological Sciences and professor at the University of Miami in the United States; and Anbar, professor at Tanta University in Egypt—as well as representatives from the China Geological Survey, the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and some provincial geological and mineral bureaus, conducted academic exchanges on topics such as the progress of deep drilling and offshore drilling construction technologies, the construction and progress of the Wenchuan scientific drilling project, the first ultra-deep borehole for uranium mining in Jiangxi, and deep drilling technology in Anhui.

The reporter learned from the symposium that in recent years, China has vigorously implemented a science and technology-led strategy in the field of small-diameter core drilling, focused on improving the technical and technological level of drilling construction, and achieved major breakthroughs in new fields such as difficult areas, complex strata, offshore drilling, continental scientific drilling, and deep drilling. It has repeatedly set and broken domestic records for borehole depth, borehole deviation, and borehole diameter in small-diameter core drilling: the first deep borehole for rock gold exploration in China in Laizhou, Shandong, with a final borehole depth of 4,006.17 meters, broke four national records, bringing deep drilling technology to a new level; continental scientific drilling has progressed smoothly, among which the Luobusha scientific drilling project in Tibet set the record for the deepest borehole on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at 1,853.79 meters; the Lujiang-Zongyang scientific drilling project had a final borehole depth of 3,008.29 meters; the deepest borehole of the Wenchuan scientific drilling project reached 2,283.56 meters; and China's first scientific deep borehole for uranium mining reached a depth of 2,818.88 meters, setting a domestic record for uranium exploration drilling. In offshore drilling, the Shandong No. 3 Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration, building on its efforts to establish a brand of "three ultra" capabilities—ultra-deep, ultra-deviated, and ultra-difficult—pioneered small-diameter core drilling offshore and has completed nearly 100,000 meters of offshore drilling in Laizhou Bay, with a maximum offshore borehole depth of 2,000 meters and remarkable prospecting results.

Through the discussions, the participating experts and scholars put forward the following suggestions on China's deep drilling and offshore drilling: first, attach importance to the drilling industry and strengthen its role and status; second, increase funding and improve the level of drilling equipment; third, rely on scientific and technological innovation to improve the level of drilling technology; fourth, promote standardized construction and enhance the level of drilling production management; fifth, promote deep integration of industry, academia, and research to advance the development of the drilling industry.