Erenhot hits 1m tons crude oil

By Zhao Xiao

Updated: 2017-02-16

Oil workers repair and maintain an oil well in subzero temperatures at the Erenhot oil deposits, Inner Mongolia, on Feb 8. [Photo/nmgnews.com.cn]

Measuring 100,000 square kilometers, the oil deposits at Erenhot have annually yielded around 1 million tons of crude oil on average over the past eight years, with oil exploited from 14 separate oil fields and 54 oil reservoirs scattered in 12 different banners and counties in Inner Mongolia.

Located in high-altitude grasslands, most Erenhot oil fields are dispersed in sparsely-populated areas, and over 3,000 oil workers are involved in the production, transportation and maintenance of the oil deposits. During the winter season, oil workers often encounter tough conditions, such as sandstorms or heavy snow. Many oil workers have devoted themselves to the Erenhot oil deposits from generation to generation.

Oil tankers near an oil deposit in Erenhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Feb 8. [Photo/nmgnews.com.cn]

Chao Lu, a worker at the Erenhot oil deposits, examines the condition of an oil well on snow-covered grasslands in Inner Mongolia on Feb 8. [Photo/nmgnews.com.cn]