Key facts
- China's deep-ocean drilling ship Mengxiang returned from its first expedition in the South China Sea.
- The vessel set a national depth record of 4,929.17 meters.
- Basalt core samples were obtained from the South China Sea basin.
- China is now the third country, after the US and Japan, to retrieve hard-rock samples from a deep-sea ocean basin using a drilling vessel.
- The 30-day expedition was organized by the China Geological Survey.
- The Mengxiang vessel has a drilling depth of 11,000 meters and the world's largest shipboard laboratory.
China's deep-ocean drilling ship Mengxiang has returned to Guangzhou after completing its first 30-day scientific expedition in the South China Sea. During the mission, the vessel set a new national record by reaching a maximum total depth of 4,929.17 meters and achieving a maximum penetration of 864.77 meters. The expedition, organized by the China Geological Survey, successfully extracted a 4.27-meter basalt core sample from the South China Sea basin.
This achievement makes China the third country globally, after the United States and Japan, to retrieve hard-rock samples from a deep-sea ocean basin using a drilling vessel. Basalt, a common rock on the ocean floor, is found in deep-water zones and is known for its toughness and brittleness, making drilling and core sampling challenging.
The research team also utilized shipborne remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for over 358 hours at depths of 4,000 meters, with one continuous operation lasting 103 hours, reaching internationally advanced levels. For the first time, researchers followed International Ocean Discovery Program standards for on-site sample processing and analysis, demonstrating full-process operational capabilities for ultra-deep water ocean scientific drilling.
The samples and data collected are expected to provide crucial evidence for understanding the expansion of the South China Sea, studying the evolution of its ancient marine environment, and exploring ultra-deep water energy resources. The Mengxiang, China's first domestically-built ocean drilling vessel commissioned in 2024, has a drilling depth capability of 11,000 meters and features the world's largest shipboard laboratory, surpassing the performance of Japanese and former US drilling vessels.