Students of the Higher School of Power Engineering took part in a geological expedition in China

Students from the Institute of Energy at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University took part in the 2024 Jungaar Basin Summer Geological Expedition Camp. The event was held in the Karamay City District, Xinjiang Province, China. It was organised by China University of Petroleum at Karamay and Worldwide Energy University Network.

18 people from different countries took part in the summer school held from 11 to 25 August 2024. Among them were two master's students of the Power Engineering Master's programme from SPbPU: Anton Pulin and Mark Golubtsov.

The summer geological expedition camp consisted of two stages: the first one took place in the Tien Shan mountains, where the participants took a basic course in geology with field trips to mountains, valleys and reserves; the second stage was in the suburbs of the city of Karamay, near the Dzungarian Basin, where the organisers talked about the origin of minerals, methods of analysing geological rocks and much more.

The participants not only attended lectures, but also went on educational trips. They visited Alxin Valley, Daifusen Ecological Park, the suburb of a coal mining city in the mountains, Tuzi Valley, and visited Xinjiang Oilfield Company. In addition, the programme included cultural field trips to share experiences: Dushanzi Grand Canyon, Shihezi and Wusu cities, and visits to historical and industrial museums.

- The trip left exceptionally positive impressions! The organisation was at the highest level: we were very well met and received, we had an extremely rich programme, every day we got absolutely new unforgettable impressions and emotions. For a fortnight we were given a basic geology course with field lectures. Importantly, in addition to new knowledge, the organisers gave us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture of China, showing us many interesting places: from historical museums to ancient canyons, natural parks and much more. We also managed to meet interesting people: both the organisers from China and participants from other countries,’ shared Anton Pulin.

The geological school gave the participants valuable knowledge and skills in the field of geology. They learnt about the processes of formation of different rocks and structures, about the factors influencing their formation, such as chemical environment, tectonic plates, water and wind. This knowledge has important practical implications for analysing deposits and searching for minerals such as oil, natural gas, hard coal. In addition to the theoretical part, the participants visited industrial enterprises where they learnt about the latest technologies in the geological industry. At the end of the school, students successfully defended reports on the material covered and received certificates confirming their participation in the programme.