On June 29, it was learned from CNPC that the cumulative oil production at the Lukqun Oilfield – the world’s lowest‑altitude ultra‑deep extra‑heavy oil field, located at the foot of the Flaming Mountains in Turpan, Xinjiang – has exceeded 10 million tonnes.
Ultra‑deep extra‑heavy oil refers to petroleum resources that are buried several kilometres underground, have a viscosity hundreds of times higher than that of conventional crude oil, and are almost immobile like black mud at room temperature, making them extremely difficult to extract.
The heavy oil reservoirs of the Lukqun Oilfield, located in the hinterland of the Turpan Basin and at the southern foothills of the Flaming Mountains, are generally buried at depths exceeding 2,300 metres, with the deepest reaching up to 5,200 metres. This field is not only the world’s lowest‑altitude ultra‑deep extra‑heavy oil development block, but also the deepest heavy oil reservoir that has been put into large‑scale commercial development in China.
Wang Sheng, from the Reservoir Geology Research Department of the Lukqun Production Management Area, Tuha Oilfield, CNPC, said: “The crude oil here features high density, high viscosity, and high pour point, making it a globally recognised world-class challenge in oil and gas development.”
Because the heavy oil in the Lukqun Oilfield is buried too deep, significant heat loss occurs during long-distance wellbore transportation, rendering conventional thermal recovery techniques completely inapplicable. In the early stage of development, the oilfield faced the dilemma of “having no mature experience to draw on and no supporting technology to adopt.”
Zou Chenglin, head of the Lukqun Production Management Area of Tuha Oilfield, CNPC, said: “By innovatively adding light oil into the wellbore, we have enabled the heavy oil – which previously ‘could hardly flow and could not be pumped’ – to be smoothly lifted to the surface from formations as deep as 3,000 metres. The oilfield’s recovery rate has increased by 11 percentage points compared with the early development stage, achieving large‑scale and cost‑effective production of otherwise difficult‑to‑recover reserves.”
Thanks to these technological breakthroughs, the annual output of the Lukqun Oilfield jumped from 30,000 tonnes to a peak of 800,000 tonnes, and has maintained a stable production of over 400,000 tonnes for 10 consecutive years.
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Post time: Jun-30-2026