Deep-sea vessel to have 5-year trial period

The State Oceanic Administration said on Wednesday that the deep-sea submersible Jiaolong will enter commercial operation after a five-year trial operation.

The administration said that in the next five years, the submersible's capabilities will be improved, and a team of oceanauts and maintenance workers will be created.

The trial period will be in the area where the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association obtained exploration rights. The vessel will explore the resources in the deep sea and study geological and environmental features.

Jiaolong will head to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean in June for a series of dives, marking the start of the submersible's trial operation. The submersible reached its record depth of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012, proving China's ability to explore 99.8 percent of the world's ocean floor.