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China extracts 'treasure' from 5000 meters deep, joins US-Japan deep-sea drilling club.
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News18•28-09-2026, 20:47
China extracts 'treasure' from 5000 meters deep, joins US-Japan deep-sea drilling club.
- •China's deep-sea drilling vessel 'Mengxiang' extracted an approximately 4.27-meter-long basalt rock sample from the seabed of the South China Sea.
- •This sample was retrieved from a depth of 5,000 meters, demonstrating China's drilling capabilities.
- •With this achievement, China has joined the ranks of select countries capable of extracting hard rock from such deep ocean basins, becoming the third country to do so.
- •According to China, the US and Japan were the first countries to extract hard rock samples from deep ocean basins with the help of deep-sea drilling vessels; now China has also joined this list.
- •This mission will help research related to the exploration and development of energy resources in the ultra-deep sea.
Key Questions Answered
China's deep-sea drilling vessel 'Mengxiang' successfully extracted a basalt rock sample approximately 4.27 meters long from a depth of 5,000 meters in the South China Sea.
According to China, the United States and Japan were the first countries to extract hard rock samples from deep ocean basins using deep-sea drilling vessels, making China the third country to achieve this capability.
The basalt samples provide scientific clues about the formation and environmental history of the South China Sea. Additionally, the underlying technology could be utilized for future research, exploration, and development of energy and marine resources in the ultra-deep sea.
