GUANGZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — China’s ocean drilling vessel Mengxiang, which means Dream, has set a nationwide report for deep-sea drilling, elevating its functionality to the 5,000-meter degree, after acquiring basalt samples from the South China Sea basin, the Ministry of Natural Resources stated on Monday.
This marks China’s entry into worldwide superior ranks in deep-sea drilling operation capability, based on the ministry.
A 4.27-meter basalt pattern was extracted throughout the voyage through a self-developed drill, which made China the third nation after the United States and Japan to acquire laborious rock samples from a deep ocean basin utilizing drilling vessels.
The analysis group performed a long-term and high-intensity operation of shipborne remotely operated autos (ROVs), deploying two ROVs to function for over 358 hours in whole at a depth of 4,000 meters, with a single steady operation lasting as much as 103 hours, reaching internationally superior ranges, stated Sun Zhen, a researcher on the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) in south China.
Following the requirements of the International Ocean Discovery Program, researchers additionally accomplished on-site multi-parameter processing and evaluation of the samples, together with cataloging, slicing, scanning, testing and storage, thereby mastering full-process operational capabilities for ultra-deep water ocean scientific drilling.
The samples and knowledge obtained throughout the voyage present essential empirical proof for addressing core scientific points such because the growth of the South China Sea. They are additionally of nice significance for finding out the evolution of the traditional marine setting within the sea and for the exploration and improvement of ultra-deep water vitality sources, researchers famous.
A complete of 170 researchers from 9 establishments participated within the voyage, which was organized by the China Geological Survey and applied by the GMGS.
As China’s first domestically-built ocean drilling vessel, Mengxiang was formally commissioned in 2024.