Published : 2026-02-10
On 10 February, 1907, China's first oil well, "Yan 1 Well" (延1井), was successfully surveyed and confirmed outside the west gate of Yanchang County, Shaanxi Province.
As early as the Qin and Han dynasties, oil had been discovered within Yan'an, and there were records of exploitation and utilisation during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
By the late Qing dynasty, the government established the "Yanchang Oil Plant" to alleviate the financial pressure caused by the mass importation of oil.
At that time, to carry out large-scale extraction, the acting magistrate of Yanchang County, Hong Yin (洪寅), hired Japanese engineers at high salaries to provide technical guidance on well-logging and drill installation, aiming for accurate well-site surveying.
Meanwhile, the drilling machinery had also been purchased and was ready for immediate operation once the well-site surveying was completed successfully.
After some effort, Yan 1 Well was successfully surveyed on 10 February, 1907, and drilling commenced with a standard drill bit on 5 June of the same year, with oil appearing on 6 September.
In October 1907, at a depth of 81 metres, oil was finally struck successfully. The well was named "Yan 1 Well," with a daily output of 1.5 tonnes of crude oil.
Yan 1 Well had ceased oil production by 1934 and was designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1996, with a monument nearby inscribed with "China's First Onshore Oil Well" (中國陸上第一口油井).
