A Black Gold Miracle in Heilongjiang

On September 26, 1959, at 4 PM, a hushed crowd gathered near a drilling site in Gaotaizi Town, Anda County, Heilongjiang. The tension was palpable—until a gush of murky black liquid erupted from the well. Cheers erupted as scientists, workers, and locals embraced, tears streaming down their faces. This wasn’t just oil; it was liberation from China’s “oil-poor” stigma. Named Daqing (“Great Celebration”) to honor the 10th anniversary of the People’s Republic, the field would become a geopolitical pivot—and a haunting “what-if” for Japan.

The Myth of “Oil-Less” China

For decades, Western geologists dismissed China’s oil potential. The dominant “marine theory” held that oil only formed under ancient seas, and China’s continental geology was deemed barren. In 1921, American professor Eliot Blackwelder declared China devoid of Mesozoic/Cenozoic marine sediments—a verdict echoed by Exxon’s failed 1913 survey. Yet Chinese scientists like Li Siguang, Huang Jiqing, and Xie Jiarong challenged this dogma. By the 1950s, their “continental theory” pinpointed the Songliao Basin (Northeast China) as prime territory.

The hunt escalated in 1958:
– April: Songliao Petroleum Exploration Team formed
– June: Upgraded to a full Exploration Bureau
– July: Drilling began at Songji-1 Well (1,879m deep, dry)
– August: Songji-2 Well struck oil sands at 2,887m
– 1959: Songji-3 Well hit paydirt at 1,050m, leading to the historic September gusher

Japan’s Desperate Oil Quest

Japan’s imperial ambitions were shackled by a cruel reality: its 378,000 km² islands held zero oil. Pre-WWII, 80% of its supply came from U.S. imports—a vulnerability that dictated diplomacy until 1941. When America’s oil embargo hit after Japan’s Southeast Asian invasions, the clock started ticking. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto warned that without Indonesian/Dutch oilfields, Japan’s fleet would be “a samurai without a sword” within months. Pearl Harbor was, in part, a scramble for fuel.

Yet Japan had scoured its puppet state Manchuria for oil since 1926. Geologist Shintai Kunitaro led expeditions along the China Eastern Railway (1929) and Zhalainuoer coalfields (1930)—all dry holes. Critically, their drills stopped at 1,000 meters, just 300 meters short of Daqing’s reserves. A 2010 revelation by Daqing’s vice mayor noted one Japanese well was 2 km from Songji-3. Even closer, the Sa-1 Well (680m to oil) lay 1 km from a Japanese site—but抗日游击队 (anti-Japanese guerrillas) in Xinghugang disrupted operations.

The “Iron Man” Photo: Espionage Myth or Masterclass?

In 1964, China unveiled Daqing via a People’s Daily feature and a now-iconic photo of “Iron Man” Wang Jinxi. Legend claims Japanese analysts deduced:
1. Location: Wang’s winter gear suggested 46°–48°N (Daqing’s coordinates)
2. Output: Derrick density hinted at reserves
3. Tech: Wrench grip revealed well diameter

Purportedly, Japan then designed custom equipment to “win” Daqing contracts—a tale repeated as a spy thriller. Yet flaws emerge:
– No evidence links the photo to actual contracts
– Daqing’s early tech was Soviet (BU-40 drills) or homemade
– China’s first international bid wasn’t until 1984 (Lubuge Dam)

The likelier truth? Japan pieced clues from multiple 1964–66 reports—not one image.

Legacy: The Fuel That Shaped Nations

Daqing’s 5.67 billion-ton reserves freed China from imports until the 1990s. For Japan, it remains a bittersweet “if only”:
– Strategic Reserves: Today, Japan stockpiles 158 days’ worth (world #1), while China holds ~50 days.
– Historical Irony: Had Japan struck oil in 1930, WWII’s Pacific theater might never have ignited.

The Daqing saga epitomizes how geology alters destiny—and how 300 meters cost an empire its future.