Introduction to the Deep-Earth Science and Engineering Program at China University of Mining and Technology

Background:

In February 2025, the deep‑earth well TaKe‑1, drilled under the leadership of China National Petroleum Corporation, was successfully completed at a depth of 10,910 meters beneath the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, becoming Asia’s deepest and the world’s second deepest vertical well. The downhole conditions at this well are: a temperature of 220°C and a pressure of 145 MPa—equivalent to 1,430 times atmospheric pressure at sea level.

　　In such an environment, conventional steel materials deform, ordinary electronic devices fail, and traditional engineering expertise becomes entirely inapplicable. Taming this extreme environment requires a unique blend of knowledge that cannot be found in standard university curricula.

　　In 2026, the Deep-Earth Science and Engineering program will be established for the first time at China University of Mining and Technology. It is the nation’s first—and currently the only—undergraduate program in the deep-earth field.

　　Why this university? Because China University of Mining and Technology boasts an infrastructure that no other institution can replicate: real deep mines. Some of its laboratories are located hundreds of meters underground, allowing students to participate in the day-to-day operation of a kilometer‑deep well testing system, a multiphysics‑coupling simulation platform, and a demonstration facility for deep‑earth energy storage. “Building laboratories in deep mines” is not a marketing slogan—it’s a literal description. Starting from their freshman year, undergraduates have the opportunity to join national key laboratories and take part in research projects.

　　The curriculum of this program likewise adopts an interdisciplinary structure: “Advanced Rock Mechanics in Deep Earth,” “Impact Dynamics,” and “Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer” form the core foundational courses; “Intelligent Construction and Prefabricated Techniques in Deep‑Earth Engineering,” “Principles and Technologies of Gravity‑Based Energy Storage,” and “Large‑Scale Gas and Energy Storage in Deep‑Earth Spaces” represent cutting‑edge, specialized areas; while “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning” and “Sensors and the Internet of Things for Deep‑Earth Engineering” serve as essential technical tools. The university has simultaneously established a seamless, end-to-end collaborative mechanism spanning admissions, training, and employment, and has signed joint‑training agreements with state‑owned enterprises in sectors such as coal, petroleum, metallurgy, and energy infrastructure. Outstanding students may be directly admitted into national major science and technology project teams.

　　The employment landscape is dominated by state-owned enterprises: PetroChina, Sinopec, and the National Energy Group are responsible for deep‑earth resource development; China Railway Group, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and PowerChina undertake major underground engineering projects; the National Reserve Administration and emerging energy‑storage technology firms are deploying underground storage facilities; while relevant institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the national defense science and technology sector conduct cutting‑edge research. Based on data from related fields, master’s degree holders typically earn between RMB 150,000 and 250,000 per year upon entry, with highly versatile talent possessing AI‑related expertise commanding even higher salaries.

　　The talent gap has been explicitly documented in the “White Paper on China’s Deep-Earth Development”: data indicate that the shortage of technical core personnel in the deep-earth sector exceeds 120,000, with an average annual growth rate of 15% in demand.

At present, the work is being carried out by engineers from geological engineering, mining engineering, and civil engineering. They push the boundaries of their respective disciplines, yet it remains difficult for them to establish genuine, system‑wide collaboration. As Shi Liwei, head of the Academic Affairs Department at China University of Mining and Technology, has often been quoted in the media: “This is not merely a simple stacking of disciplines; it is a ‘genetic recombination’ of traditional engineering.”

(This article is from the internet.)