The drilling of China's first scientific exploration borehole designed to be more than 10,000 meters deep reached a depth of 9,950 meters, inching closer to the 10,000-meter mark. Commencing on May 30 last year, the drilling of the Shendi (deep-Earth) Ta'Ke-1 well represents a landmark in China's deep-Earth exploration, providing an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of the planet deep beneath the surface. With a design depth of 11,100 meters, the borehole is situated in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.