On a cold winter day in 2010, in a remote mountainous area of Mohe County, Heilongjiang Province, a group of oilfield exploration engineers gathered around a newly drilled oil well. The sudden fuel injection stunned everyone. Black crude oil rises into the sky like a fountain, forming a spectacular "black rainbow" in the cold air.
This scene unveiled a corner of the mystery of Heiyou Mountain (Mohe Oilfield), and also opened a legend of oil search spanning more than half a century.
Black Hope in the Ice Wasteland
Mohe, a small city in the northernmost part of China, is covered in snow and ice all year round. Who would have thought that under this seemingly barren land, there would be such a wealth of "black gold"?
As early as the 60s of the 20th century, local residents noticed that black oily substances often floated in the river. However, due to its remote location and inconvenient transportation, this discovery did not attract much attention. It was not until the end of the 90s of the last century, with the sharp increase in domestic oil demand, that the oil resources of Mohe re-entered people's field of vision.
In 1998, Sinopec sent an elite exploration team. The team includes both experienced oilfield geologists and experts in the operation of the latest scientific and technological equipment. They had only one mission: to determine whether there really were large-scale oil reservoirs beneath Mohe.
The exploration team trekked hard along the Mohe River. Bitter cold, wild beasts, dangerous terrain... None of these are the biggest challenges. The real challenge is: how do you pinpoint the location of the reservoir in this vast expanse of land?
Unexpected discoveries and amazing breakthroughs
Hard work pays off. During a routine survey, the team found that the river had suddenly narrowed and the water quality had become turbid. With years of experience, geologists are keenly aware that this could be an important clue to the existence of an oil reservoir!
Subsequent detailed surveys confirmed this conjecture. Not only that, but they also accidentally discovered a special "raw oil" resource. This oil is of extremely high quality and has excellent combustion performance, and is called "super crude oil" by experts.
In order to assess the reservoir reserves more accurately, the exploration team introduced the most advanced exploration equipment at the time. Electromagnetic field detectors, seismic wave detection systems, satellite remote sensing technology... These high-tech equipment provide strong support for the precise positioning of oil reservoirs.
After repeated calculations, experts have come to an astonishing conclusion: the reserves of the Mohe oilfield may be as high as billions of tons, and it has every potential to become one of the largest onshore oil fields in China!
International Cooperation and Questioning
Such a major discovery has naturally attracted great attention from the international oil community. In 2010, a team of experts from European and American oil companies came to Mohe to question the Chinese exploration results.
However, when they witnessed the actual situation of the Mohe oilfield, they had to admit that the exploration data of Chinese experts was accurate. This not only confirms the great value of the Mohe oilfield, but also greatly enhances the international reputation of China's petroleum exploration technology.
Once the existence of the oil field was confirmed, the next question was how to develop it effectively. Mohe has a remote geographical location, backward infrastructure, and harsh climatic conditions. How to carry out large-scale mining in such an environment has become a difficult problem for engineers.
After repeated arguments, experts put forward the concept of "green development". They have designed a plan that is both environmentally friendly and efficient, and strives to maximize the protection of the local ecological environment while developing the oil field.
The far-reaching impact of oil fields
The discovery and development of the Mohe oilfield has had a profound impact on China's energy strategy.
It has greatly increased China's oil self-sufficiency. It is estimated that the Mohe oilfield can provide tens of millions of tons of crude oil for the country every year, which is equivalent to reducing the oil import bill by tens of billions of dollars. And its reserves reach 8.6 billion tons, which can be mined for 800 years at the current mining rate.
The development of Mohe Oilfield has led to the rapid development of the local economy. A large amount of investment and talent have given new life to this once obscure border town.
Finally, the successful exploration and development of the Mohe oilfield has also accumulated valuable experience for China in finding and developing new oilfields in other regions.
Although the discovery of the Mohe oil field is exciting, experts are also soberly aware that oil is a non-renewable resource after all. How to do a good job in long-term planning and achieve sustainable development while developing and utilizing is an important issue in front of us.
At present, Mohe Oilfield has begun to explore the development of new energy. Solar, wind, geothermal... Pilot projects for multiple clean energy sources are underway. It is expected that in the near future, Mohe will be able to transform from a single "oil city" to a comprehensive "energy base".
epilogue
Although the discovery of the Mohe oil field is a welcome piece of good news. However, we must also realize that true energy security not only depends on the discovery of new oil fields, but also requires our continuous efforts in energy conservation, emission reduction, and the development of new energy sources.
Although the "black gold" of Mohe is precious, the real treasure may be the spirit of defying difficulties and being brave in innovation that we have cultivated in the process of exploration. This spirit will inspire us to continue to move forward on the road of energy development and contribute to the sustainable development of China and the world.