China's Fuman Oilfield Breaks Records with 8,080-Metre Core and 26.86 Million Tons Output
The Fuman Oilfield in the Taklamakan Desert has produced over 26 million tons of oil and gas and retrieved a rock core from 8,080 metres depth, a first for China.
China's largest desert oilfield, Fuman, situated on the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, has surpassed 26 million tons of oil-and-gas equivalent production, according to China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC). The field has delivered 20.36 million tons of crude oil and 8.15 billion cubic metres of natural gas from formations deeper than 6,000 metres. In a landmark drilling at the Zhentan-1 well, engineers recovered rock cores from 8,080 metres underground, the deepest sample ever taken in the Tarim Basin, dating back roughly 500 million years.
CNPC officials say the cores will enable detailed analysis of hydrocarbon generation, layer thickness and maturity at extreme depths. To date, 485 ultra-deep wells have been completed, with 133 wells each yielding over 100,000 tons of oil and gas, cementing the Tarim Oilfield's status as a major ultra-deep production hub. The findings could guide future exploration of the basin's vast ultra-deep reserves, which hold more than half of the region's proven 5 billion-ton hydrocarbon resources.
Why it matters
The breakthrough shows China's ability to tap ultra-deep desert reserves, boosting energy security and informing future exploration.
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