On April 8th, according to the China Petrochemical News Office as reported by the China Science Daily, China Petrochemical successfully completed drilling of the Fu Shen Re1 well in Hainan, reaching a depth of 5200 meters, setting a new record for the deepest geothermal science exploration well in China. The successful drilling of this well has unveiled the formation and enrichment mechanisms of deep geothermal resources in South China, marking a significant breakthrough in regional and depth exploration for China's hot dry rock exploration. This achievement holds vital significance for the scaled development and utilization of geothermal resources in South China, contributing to the restructuring of regional energy resources.
Geothermal energy is a stable, reliable, green, and low-carbon renewable energy source with characteristics such as large reserves, wide distribution, cleanliness, and environmental friendliness. Currently, the development and utilization of geothermal resources in China mainly focus on shallow and intermediate-depth hydrothermal geothermal energy, while exploration of deep geothermal energy, especially dry rock resources below 3000 meters, is still in the exploration stage.
Dry rock generally refers to high-temperature rocks buried thousands of meters underground with temperatures exceeding 180°C and containing little or no fluid internally. According to geological surveys in China, the geothermal resources of dry rock type within the depth range of 3000 to 10,000 meters in China's land area are equivalent to 856 trillion tons of standard coal. Even if only 2% is extracted, it could reach 2993 times China's total energy consumption in 2023.
The Fu Shen Re1 well is a key geothermal science exploration well deployed by the China Petrochemical Petroleum Exploration and Development Research Institute, targeting granites dating back 250 million years, classified as deep dry rock geothermal wells. Since drilling began in August 2023, the well has employed several innovative technologies independently developed by China Petrochemical, such as "dual-drive drilling + high-pressure jetting". At nearly 3900 meters, temperatures exceed 150°C, meeting the criteria for high-temperature geothermal resources. At 5000 meters, temperatures exceed 180°C, reaching the temperature threshold for dry rock as per national energy industry standards. This has established key technologies for deep geothermal resource detection and evaluation, achieving the expected goals and tasks of scientific exploration wells.
It is reported that China Petrochemical will further conduct in-depth research and on-site experiments based on the Fu Shen Re1 well, establishing the first integrated on-site experimental research platform and development demonstration platform for deep geothermal production, research, and academia integration in South China. This initiative aims to explore theoretical methods and technical systems suitable for the South China region, contributing to China's achievement of its "dual carbon" goals.
Sinopec's Fushen Rehe Well 1: A Snapshot by Zhang Qiaoxun
Captured by Zhang Qiaoxun, this image depicts the Fushen Rehe Well 1 operated by Sinopec, one of China's leading petroleum and petrochemical companies.
