Ultra-deep well on the Kola Peninsula: history and secrets

The well, located on the territory of the Kola Peninsula, occupies the first positions in the list of "Super deep wells in the world". It was drilled to study the structure of deep earth rocks. Unlike other existing wells on the planet, this one was drilled exclusively from the scientific point of view and was not used to extract useful resources.

Location of the Kola Superdense Station

Where is the Kola Superdeep Well? на располагается в Мурманской области, вблизи города Заполярный (примерно в 10 километрах от него). About is located in the Murmansk region, near the city of Zapolyarny (about 10 kilometers from it). The location of the well is truly unique. It was laid on the territory of the Baltic Shield, near the Kola Peninsula. It is there where the earth pushes various ancient rocks daily.

Near the well is the Pechenga-Imandra-Varzug Rifting Deflection formed as a result of the fault.

Kola superdeep well: the history of appearance

In honor of the centennial anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin in the first half of 1970 was the beginning of drilling a well.

On May 24, 1970, after the geological expedition approved the location of the well, the work was started. To a depth of about 7 thousand meters, everything went smoothly and smoothly. After crossing the seven thousandth line, the work went harder and constant collapses began to occur.

As a result of permanent breakage of lifting mechanisms and broken burrs, as well as regular falls, the walls of the well were exposed to the cementing process. However, due to permanent malfunctions, the work continued for several years and was extremely slow.

On June 6, 1979, the depth of the well crossed the 9583 meter line, thus breaking the world record of oil production in the United States of America Bert Rogers, located in Oklahoma. At that time, about 16 scientific laboratories were continuously working in the Kola well, and the drilling process was supervised personally by the Minister of Geology of the Soviet Union, Evgeny Kozlovsky.

In 1983, when the depth of the Kola superdeep well reached 12,066 meters, the work was temporarily frozen in connection with the preparation for the International Geological Congress in 1984. Upon its completion, the works were resumed.

The resumption of work fell on September 27, 1984. But at the first descent the drilling column was cut off, and once again there was a collapse of the well. The work resumed from a depth of about 7 thousand meters.

In 1990, the depth of the drill hole reached a record 12,262 meters. After the break of the next column, an order was received to stop drilling the well and complete the work.

Current state of the Kola well

In early 2008, an ultradeep well on the Kola Peninsula was considered abandoned, the equipment was dismantled, and a project was already launched to demolish existing buildings and laboratories.

In early 2010, the director of the Kola Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that at present the well has undergone a conservation process and is being destroyed independently. Since then, the question of it has not been raised.

The depth of the well for today

At present, the Kola superdeep well, the photo of which is presented to the attention of the reader in the article, is considered one of the largest drilling projects on the planet. Its official depth is 12,263 meters.

Sounds in the Kola well

When the drilling rigs crossed the line of 12,000 meters, workers began to hear strange sounds emanating from the depths. At first they did not attach any importance to this. However, when all the drilling equipment froze, and there was a deathly silence in the hole, unusual sounds were heard, which the workers themselves called "the cries of sinners in hell." Since the sounds of the superdeep hole were considered rather unusual, it was decided to record them using heat-resistant microphones. When the records were heard, everyone was amazed - they were like screaming and screaming people.

A few hours after listening to the records, the workers found traces of a powerful explosion of previously unknown origin. The work was temporarily stopped until the circumstances became clear. However, they were resumed in a few days. Once again, having descended into the well, everyone waited with a sinking heart to hear human cries, but there was truly a deathly silence.

When the proceedings about the origin of the sounds began, questions were asked about who heard what and what. The stricken and frightened workers tried to avoid answering these questions and only dismissed the phrase: "I heard something strange ..." Only after a large amount of time and when the project was closed, a version was put forward that sounds of unknown origin are the sound of movement of tectonic plates. This version was eventually refuted.

Secrets with which the well is shrouded

In 1989, the Kola superdeep well, sounds from which excite the imagination of a man, was called "road to hell." The legend was born on the air of an American television company, which took the April Fool's article in the Finnish newspaper about the Kola well for reality. The article said that every kilometer on the way to the 13th brought disaster to the country. According to legend, at the depth of 12 thousand meters, people began to see the workers' cries for help, which were recorded on ultra-sensitive microphones.

With each new kilometer on the way to the 13th in the country there were cataclysms, so, on the above-mentioned path the USSR collapsed.

Also noted that, having drilled a well to 14.5 thousand meters, workers stumbled upon empty "rooms", the temperature in which reached 1100 degrees Celsius. Having lowered one of the thermo-resistant microphones into one of these holes, they wrote groans, rattles and screams. These sounds were called "the voice of the underworld," and the well itself was called just "road to hell."

However, soon the research group itself denied this legend. Scientists said that the depth of the well at that time was only 12,263 meters, and the maximum recorded temperature is 220 degrees Celsius. Only one fact remained unconfirmed, thanks to which the Kola superdeep borehole has such dubious fame - sounds.

Interview with one of the workers of the Kola Superdeep Well

In an interview on the refutation of the legend about the Kola borehole, David Mikhnovich Guberman said: "When people ask me about the truthfulness of this legend and about the existence of the demon we found there, I reply that this is utter nonsense. But to be honest, I can not refute the fact that we are faced with something supernatural. First, we began to worry about the origin of the sounds, then there was an explosion. When we looked into the well, to the same depth, in a few days, everything was absolutely normal ... "

What is the benefit of drilling the Kola superdeep well?

Of course, one of the main advantages of this well is significant progress in the field of drilling. New methods and types of drilling have been developed. Also, a drilling and scientific equipment was created for the Kola superdeep well, which is still used today.

Another plus was the opening of a new location of valuable natural resources, including gold.

The main scientific goal of the project to explore the deep layers of the earth was achieved. Many of the available theories have been refuted (including the basalt layer of the earth).

Number of super deep wells in the world

In total there are about 25 superdeep wells on the planet.

Most of them are located on the territory of the former USSR, but about 8 are located all over the world.

Ultra-deep wells located on the territory of the former USSR

On the territory of the Soviet Union there was a huge number of super-deep wells, but it should be especially noted:

1. Muruntau well. In depth, the well reaches only 3 thousand meters. It is located in the Republic of Uzbekistan, in a small village of Muruntau. Drilling the well began in 1984 and has not yet been completed.
2. Krivoy Rog well. In depth reaches only 5,383 meters out of 12 thousand conceived. Drilling began in 1984 and ended in 1993. The location of the well is Ukraine, the neighborhood of the city of Krivoy Rog.
3. The Dnieper-Donets well. He is a countrywoman of the previous one and also is in Ukraine, near the Donetsk Republic. The depth of the well today is 5691 meters. Drilling began in 1983 and continues to the present day.
4. The Ural well. It has a depth of 6100 meters. Located in the Sverdlovsk region, near the city of Verkhnyaya Tura. Work on drilling wells lasted for 20 years, beginning in 1985 and ending in 2005.
5. Bikjalsky well. Its depth reaches 6700 meters. Drilling of the well took place from 1962 to 1971. It is located on the Caspian lowland.
6. Aralsol well. Its depth is one hundred meters larger than the Bikjalskaya and is only 6,800 meters. The year of drilling and the location of the well are completely identical with the Biichal well.
7. Timano-Pechora well. Its depth reaches 6904 meters. It is located in the Republic of Komi. To be more precise, in the Vuktyl district. Work on drilling wells lasted about 10 years, starting from 1984 to 1993.
8. Tyumen well. The depth reaches 7502 meters out of 8,000 planned. There is a well near the town of Novy Urengoy and the village of Korotchaevo. Drilling took place from 1987 to 1996.
9. Shevchenko Well. It was drilled during one year 1982 with the goal of oil production in Western Ukraine. The depth of the well is 7520 meters. It is located in the Carpathian region.
10. Yen-Yakhinskaya well. It has a depth of about 8,250 meters. The only well that exceeded the drilling plan (originally planned 6000). It is located on the territory of Western Siberia, near the city of Novy Urengoy. Drilling lasted from 2000 to 2006. At present it was the last acting super deep well in Russia.
11. Saatlyn well. Its depth is 8324 meters. Drilling was carried out during the period from 1977 to 1982. It is located in Azerbaijan, 10 kilometers from the city of Saatly, within the Kursk arc.

World superdeep wells

On the territory of other countries, too, there are a number of super-deep wells, which can not be ignored:

1. Sweden. Siljan Ring depth of 6800 meters.
2. Kazakhstan. Tasim Southeast depth of 7050 meters.
3. USA. The bighorn is 7583 meters deep.
4. Austria. Cisterdorf depth of 8553 meters.
5. USA. University depth of 8686 meters.
6. Germany. KTB-Oberpfalz depth of 9,101 meters.
7. USA. Beidat-Unit 9159 meters deep.
8. USA. Berta Rogers depth of 9583 meters.

World records for super deep wells in the world

In 2008, the world record of the Kola well was broken by the Maersk oil well. Its depth is 12,290 meters.

After that, a few more world records of superdeep wells were recorded:

1. In early January 2011, the record was broken by a Sakhalin-1 oil production well with a depth of 12 345 meters.
2. In June 2013, the record was broken by a well of the Chayvinskoye field, the depth of which was 12,700 meters.

However, the riddles and secrets of the Kola superdeep well have not been uncovered and explained to this day. As for the sounds present during its drilling, new theories have emerged to this day. Who knows, maybe this really is the fruit of a turbulent human imagination? Well, then how many eyewitnesses? Maybe soon there will be a person who will give a scientific explanation of what is happening, and perhaps the well will remain a legend, which will be retold for many more centuries ...