A Brief Introduction
to
Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey
Guangzhou Marine Geological
Survey (GMGS), under the direct control of China Geological Survey,
Ministry of Land and Resources, is a comprehensive scientific
institution which conducts national basic, strategic and public
beneficial investigation and research of marine geology. Its predecessor
was Marine Geological Scientific Research Institute of Geological
Ministry which was founded on December 24th, 1963, Nan Jing.
Closely around the theme of marine resources, environment,
rights and interests, GMGS sticks to geological prospecting and has made
great achievement in the field such as oil gas resources survey, marine
engineering geology, disaster geological survey, scientific survey of
ocean geology, scientific survey of the South Pole, new energy
investigation (gas hydrate) and marine high-tech. We have found and
delimitated a batch of large-scale petroliferous basins which includes
the Beibu-Gulf, Pear River Estuary, Wan’an and Zengmu. In 1976, we found
high yield industrial oil flow in the Pearl River Basin after the first
drilling and made great breakthrough in gas oil exploration of the
South China Sea. We delimitated the polymetallic nodule mining area of
75,000 square kilometers in the ocean floor of Eastern Pacific, which
makes China the fifth pioneering country with polymetallic nodule
resource in international waters after India, Soviet Union, France and
Japan. We initiated 1:200000 map oceaneering geological surveys and
provided basic materials of environmental engineering for large scale
gas oil exploration of the South China Sea.
In recent ten years, based on advanced technology, GMGS actively
explores new areas of marine geology. In 2007, we successfully made the
first drilling in Shenhu area of the South China Sea and got the sample
of gas hydrate thus made great breakthrough in the investigation and
evaluation of new energy. We carried out a new round of prospective
evaluation on oil gas in the northern slope of the South China Sea and
the Yellow Sea and discovered a batch of geological formation that is
conducive to oil gas accumulation. We launched the 1:1 million map of
the South China Sea marine regional geological survey and provided basic
materials for national marine economic development, marine planning as
well as the protection of marine sovereignty.
In the past 40 years, with the hard work of all the
geologists, GMGS realized its great goals of “surveying all the Chinese
seas, sailing into the Pacific Ocean and landing on the Antarctic
Continent”. We have submitted a batch of geological surveys and
scientific achievement with advanced level both at home and abroad and
been awarded hundreds of honors at country, province and ministry level.
GMGS is hailed as “a strong force in China’s marine geological survey”.
We have got many awards such as “National Pioneering Marine Geological
Unit”, “Ministerial Advanced Group”, “Advanced Unit of Guangdong
Province”, “Advanced Unit of the New Round National Oil Gas evaluation”,
“Excellent Group for the Implementation of National Science and
Technology Plan” and etc.
At present, GMGS has nearly 800 staff members, among which
540 are professionals with different majors; 141 are professional
technical personnel with senior qualified certification (including 45
professors). 1 is academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; 5
have got “Li Siguang Geological Science Award”; 1 has awarded“Huang
Jiqing Youth Geological Science Award”; 1 has got “the Golden Hammer
Award of Youth Geological Society of China” while 2 have awarded “the
Silver Hammer Award Geological Society of China”. Besides, there are 2
people been selected in the “New Century Talents Project” on national
level; 27 people receive special government allowance from State
Council. We have 5 survey vessels for geological, geophysical research
and drilling. They can fulfill many different requirements for off-shore
geophysical, geological and mineral resources exploration and
investigation. The existing marine geological survey methods could all
meet the requirements for investigations in High Ocean, offshore, oil
gas, marine geology and oceaneering. The newly-built Hai Yang Liu Hao is
a comprehensive geological and geophysical vessel with the finest
equipments and most completed facilities in China at present. With
class-A certificate in marine geological survey, experiment testing and
marine mapping and other certificate such as DOC and SMC, Hai Yang Liu
Hao is capable of undertaking major high-tech task of marine resources
investigation, mineral resources exploration and evaluation and
developing marine geological science.
GMGS has been actively engaged in scientific and
technological exchanges and cooperation with other scientific
institutions both at home and abroad. For example, we have carried out
fruitful and diverse forms of cooperation with 12 countries including
the U.S, Germany and Russia as well as organizations like UNDP, IOM,
CCOP, SOPEC, etc. We completed many projects such as the investigation
of international submarine cable route, engineering investigation of
Guangdong first and second nuclear power station, Hong Kong sewage
disposal project, Niigata and Tsushima Strait survey, Sudan harbor
renovation, Zhuhai Lingdingyang Bridge, sea-crossing bridge of Qiongzhou
Strait and deepwater oil gas well site. As a result, we gained
significant social and economic value.
21st century is the ocean age for overall exploration of
ocean. The importance of public beneficial and basic marine geology work
has already received general attention and recognition. GMGS will work
in accordance to the development direction of “efficient work, fine
equipment, professional and comprehensive, high level and face to the
global” and tries to build a marine geological investigation research
institute with international advanced and domestic first-class level.
GMGS also commits to making greater contribution to protecting national
marine sovereign rights and exploring marine territorial resources.