On Oct 29, 1955, the Karamay No 1 Well struck oil, symbolizing the birth of Karamay Oilfield, the first big oilfield of New China.

When the People's Republic of China was founded, it was desperately in need of oil. Lack of oil made the economic development very slow.

On June 15, 36 engineers from eight ethnic groups came to Black Oil Mountain and overcame wind, heat, and water shortage to drill. On May 29, the city of Karamay was born because of the oilfield. By 1959, the Karamay Oilfield became China' s largest oilfield in terms of crude oil production.

After fifty years, Karamay has become a dynamic, charming, harmonious city where people are leading a relatively prosperous life.

A general introduction to the oil well: The 620-meter-deep Karamay No 1 Oil well was dug on July 6, 1955 and began spouting oil and gas on On October 29.From November 1955 to June 2013, Karamay turned out 1.7939 trillion tons of crude oil and 302 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. On Oct 29, 1982, people laid a monument for Karamay No 1 well to commemorate its contribution to the petroleum industry. The well was closed in December because of its low efficiency. From March 2006, the well has operated from time to time with daily average production of 0.4 ton. Karamay No 1 was listed as a national antique by the State Bureau of National Antiques in early May 2013. On May 27, 2014, the well was permanently closed and the construction of a tourism scenic spot began in the same year.

The No 1 Well of the Karamy Oilfield was recognized as a national antique by the State Bureau of National Antiques in early May 2012.[ Photo/epaper.kelamayi.com.cn]

People excited to see oil spill out of the No 1 Oil Well of the Karamay Oilfield on Oct 29, 1955. [Photo/ epaper.kelamayi.com.cn]

A model of the Karamay Oilfield was shown at the National Day celebration in 1956. [Photo/ epaper.kelamayi.com.cn]

Edited by Andrew Ancheta