How many times is Z-44 Chayvo Well in Russia taller than the height of Burj Khalifa in Dubai ?

Over the years drilling companies have had to go deeper into the earth to extract oil. In 1949 the average depth of an oil well drilled was 3,635 ft by 2008 that was 6,000 ft.

Advances in technology have meant oil and gas companies can now go drill down to previously impossible depths. In this infographic from Fuel Fighter we focus on the Z-44 Chayvo Well, the deepest on the planet.

In 2011, Exxon Neftegas, operator of the Sakhalin-1 project, drilled the then world’s deepest well surpassing previous record holders the Al Shaheen well and the Kola Superdeep Borehole as the world’s longest borehole. The Odoptu OP-11 Well reached a measured total depth of 40,502 ft (12,345 m). But in 2012, Exxon Neftegas beat its own record by completing the Z-44 Chayvo well. This Well has an astonishing total depth of 40,604 ft (12,376 m) which is 15 times the height of the worlds tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.