“Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient China’s Ingenious Gas Drilling: A Hidden History of Energy Innovation”
The first brine wells in Sichuan appeared during the Warring States Period of 480-221 B.C.E. These were commissioned by Li Bing, a legendary administrator and hydraulic engineer for the State of Qin [“Chin”] most famous for creating the Dujiangyan river control system – which, incredibly, is still in use more than 2000 years later. At first these wells were dug by hand, but by the 1st Century C.E. the locals had developed a sophisticated percussive drilling system remarkably similar to early American rigs used in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. In this system, the top few metres of the well were dug out by hand, with the hole being lined with stones drilled through with circular holes. These holes formed a cylindrical guide for the subsequent drilling operation. Once the wellhead was complete, a bamboo derrick or “heaven cart” was erected overtop. By the early 20th century, some of these derricks reached up to 100 metres in height, rivalling their more famous western counterparts. The drill bit consisted of a long vertical bamboo pole tipped with a cast-iron chisel head, which in turn was connected to a pivoting seesaw-like platform. A worker would repetitively jump on and off this platform, raising and dropping the drill bit onto the bedrock below. Unsurprisingly, this was a slow, tedious process; the drilling speed topped out at less than a metre per day, and it often took months to strike a brine deposit. Despite this, these Ancient Chinese drillers achieved some truly impressive feats. By the Tang Dynasty of 618-906 C.E, they were drilling down to depths of 250 metres. By comparison, early 19th Century American wells topped out at only 150 metres.
