Attendees of the workshop determining the location of a well for ocean drilling hosted by YNU pose for a photo. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Yunnan University (YNU) hosted a workshop on determining the location of a well for ocean drilling from June 21 to 22. 

Hou Zengqian, deputy director of the committee of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Wang Chengshan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences working at China University of Geosciences, Wu Nengyou, director of the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Yang Shouye, director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology at Tongji University, Tuo Shouting, deputy director of the China Office of the International Ocean Drilling Program, Peter Clift, a marine geologist and geophysicist from Louisiana State University, as well as more than 40 experts from 12 research institutes in China, attended the workshop. 

YNU Vice-President Zhang Li delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the workshop, in which he briefed the attendees on the history of YNU and the university’s current progress of its Double First-Rate Program. 

In Wu Nengyou’s remarks, he stressed that ocean drilling is a major driving force of the development of geosciences. 

The Chinese government and scientists should seize the opportunities to promote the development of geosciences in China, he added. 

In Hou Zengqian’s speech, he expressed approval of YNU’s efforts to boost the development of its geosciences department, and noted that ocean drilling projects are in a favored position to win financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. 

China is a participant of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP).

ODP was funded by the US National Science Foundation and 22 international partners to conduct basic research into the history of the ocean basins and the overall nature of the crust beneath the ocean floor using the scientific drill ship JOIDES Resolution. 

IODP is an international marine research collaboration that explores Earth's history and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks and to monitor sub-seafloor environments. 

In 2019, the China Geological Survey launched a project to conduct research on the selection of a well for ocean drilling in order to improve Chinese scientists’ abilities to explore ocean environments.