Kola Superdeep Borehole

The Kola experimental reference ultra-deep well (SG-3) is a unique object of scientific research, located 15 km east of the village of Nikel and 12 km west of the city of Zapolyarny in the Murmansk region. This hole, first drilled in the 1970s, became the deepest mine in the world.

Listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1997 as the deepest human invasion of the earth's crust, the Kola SG-3 remains an amazing achievement of science and technology to this day. Up until 2008, it was also considered the longest well in the world, until it was surpassed by the Maersk Oil BD-04A oil well in Qatar.

The history of drilling this well is inextricably linked with the research and production center created specifically for research at depth. Comprehensive work on drilling and analysis of geological samples was carried out by the Kola Integrated Geological Exploration Expedition of Deep Drilling.

SG-3 was closed in 1994 after a number of accidents, but in 2020 Murmansk authorities announced plans to turn the scientific site into a tourist attraction.

Despite its scientific and historical status, the well is in decline. In 2008, the research and production center at the well was liquidated, and the well buildings were left abandoned and destroyed.

Interest in this amazing engineering and scientific monument continues to this day, and volunteers of the Clean Arctic environmental project cleaned up the area near the wellhead in 2022, trying to preserve its historical heritage.

Myths and legends of the Kola Superdeep

According to legend, the Kola experimental reference superdeep well (SG-3) became not only an object of scientific research, but also a source of mystical stories. Drilling of this well began on May 24, 1970 and was initially focused solely on scientific purposes. Geological exploration work was carried out under the leadership of David Guberman and continued until 1991, reaching an amazing depth of more than 12 kilometers.

However, in 1994, drilling was suddenly stopped due to a series of strange accidents, leaving behind mysterious traces. In 1989, an American television company released a story about the well, calling it “The Well to Hell.” The legend surrounding this object has become the source of many myths and speculations.

According to one version, at a depth of 14.5 kilometers, the drill encountered voids from which emanated an anomalous temperature of 1100 °C and inhuman screams, which led to the renaming of the well into the underworld.

In addition, there were rumors about a demonic creature that emerged from the depths of the well and ran away in an unknown direction before the eyes of frightened scientists. In 1995, an explosion occurred deep in the well, the cause of which remained unclear, although sensors recorded a strange noise in front of it.

Huberman, the lead scientist on the project, did not hide his skepticism towards the mystical stories, but admitted that some events at the Kola well remain a mystery. Despite the scientific basis of the work, it left behind a lot of inexplicable things.