China's first oil rig capable of drilling to a depth of 9,000 meters will get its first test in the northwestern Karamay oil field this June, said sources with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China's biggest oil producer, on Monday.

The China-made drilling rig, which contains numerous patented parts, breaks the country's dependency on foreign rigs that can drill 9,000 meters and will upgrade both China's capacity to explore for oil and gas both offshore and on land, said Luo Chao, deputy chief engineer of China Petroleum Material and Equipment Corporation (CPMEC), a specialized service company fully owned by CNPC.

The drilling rig is made by Baoji Petroleum Machinery Company Limited, China's biggest research and manufacturing base for drilling rigs owned by CPMEC.

According to the company, research has been completed on China-made drill rigs that can bore to a depth of 12,000 meters.

The soaring price of oil has encouraged more money to flow into oil and natural gas exploration.

To make breakthroughs in oil exploration and production, the research and development of drilling rigs are a necessary precondition, said Jia Bingyan, chief designer of the drilling rig.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2006)