Chapter 209: Personally Building the Drill Platform (2 in 1)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

So it was like this.

Tang Rui nodded after listening.

It seemed that he had previously helped the Sichuan Provincial Oil Group fight for shares, and in return, they had covered all the expenses of the panda.

Thinking about it, it was trivial.

How much could eight pandas cost?

When the seabed oil was extracted, even with only 5% of the shares, the Sichuan Provincial Oil Group would make a fortune.

Tang Rui also sat on the lawn, stroked the panda for a while, and then returned to the laboratory.

He didn’t feel any pressure, but the pressure from above was immense.

Therefore, he was prepared to demonstrate some skills first to reassure the higher-ups.

Underwater drilling technology.

This technique was not too difficult for Tang Rui.

Normal difficulty in positioning, seabed geological structure investigation, drilling route selection, and drill bit material were not problems for him.

Of course, it was not without difficulty.

Constructing the undersea tunnel and oil pipeline was a major challenge.

“Red Lotus, show me the geological data model of the seabed,” Tang Rui said to Red Lotus.

Whoosh!

A huge model of the seabed’s geological structure appeared before him. Six oil fields were clearly displayed.

“Red Lotus, based on the materials we have now, create the most robust pipeline and connect the six oil fields and two regions. Then, run the simulation,” Tang Rui instructed again.

“Alright, Master. What scenario would you like to simulate?”

“Earthquakes and tsunamis.”

“Alright, Master. I understand.”

Following Red Lotus’s simulation, the holographic projection showed an undersea tunnel and a pipeline, as well as an ocean drilling platform.

Then, an earthquake began.

The underground pipes were fine initially, withstanding the shaking. However, as the earthquake’s magnitude increased, the geological structure changed, and the pipeline adapted to these changes.

Even so, there were no problems with the oil pipeline. It was deformed but did not fracture or leak.

However, the undersea tunnels and drilling platforms could not withstand it.

During the earthquake, the undersea tunnel broke and sprouted a leak, while the drilling platform was washed away by the waves.

At this moment, the earthquake’s magnitude displayed was 8.7.

“Let’s stop here.”

The data on the holographic projection model stopped, and the simulation ended.

Although this was only the result of a simulation, all the data had come from the Earthquake Bureau’s database, so the readings should be reliable.

Based on the current simulation, there were no issues with the pipes.

Even in an 8.7 magnitude earthquake, they would at most distort.

This distortion, caused by changes in the geological structure, was not problematic. The pipeline’s material could withstand it.

When the time came to construct the pipeline, he could add some redundant materials in advance. As long as it did not exceed the material’s limit of resistance to stretching, there would be no issues.

However, the undersea tunnel posed a significant challenge.

It couldn’t be bent like an oil pipeline. Once bent, there would only be one outcome: water leakage.

An underwater tunnel leaking was no small matter.

The water pressure at the seabed was immense.

Even a small leak would quickly expand into a large hole, fatally flooding the tunnel.

He needed to find a solution.

“Red Lotus, download the relevant information and data on the deep geological drilling equipment, as well as the design drawings.”

“Yes, Master. The download is complete.”

“Open the design.”

Whoosh!

Almost ten models of drilling equipment appeared before his eyes, including their structure and parts.

Tang Rui examined the equipment.

He realized it differed from the underground drilling equipment he had imagined. There were no fancy components.

The only valuable part was the drill.

However, he didn’t need it at all.

“Remove all other parts, only keep the model of the drill.”

There were many types of drills for deep drilling.

Their bits weren’t sharp, but round.

However, it wasn’t a spherical circle, but a circular arc with many wavy teeth and a rolling drill.

“Red Lotus, simulate the drilling of these bits.”

“Yes, Master.”

Following Red Lotus’s simulation, the rocks began to be drilled. The geological data remained the same.

The rotation speed was also consistent.

This way, the efficiency of these drills could be easily distinguished. There was no need for excessive realism, as long as there was approximate data.

In less than five minutes, Tang Rui selected a drill.

“Red Lotus, enlarge this drill. Make it 30 centimeters in radius.”

“Yes, Master. We’re in the process of manufacturing it. The material is a titanium-tungsten alloy, and we’re using nano-layer spraying technology to ensure the drill bit is resistant to wear and high temperatures.”

“Then, go ahead and design a submarine capable of digging at the seabed. It must carry a large drill that can work directly on the seabed for an extended period.”

“Yes, Master. I am simulating according to the current model. It’s estimated to take 14 minutes.”

Ten minutes later, a small unmanned submarine was designed.

At the front of the submarine was a drill.

To be blunt, this was an underwater tunnel-boring machine.

He would definitely not use a TBM to dig a hole in the seabed, especially an undersea tunnel. That would be too slow.

How many years would it take to dig an undersea tunnel? Ten or twenty years?

By then, he would have left Earth.

To think he would dig an undersea tunnel for them was implausible.

Therefore, his plan was to dig directly from the sea’s bottom with a submarine, rather than underground construction.

After the tunnel was dug, he would insert sections of the tunnel and bury them after assembly. This way, things would move along at a much faster pace.

Moreover, the construction difficulty would be significantly reduced.

As for the oil pipeline, it would be hung next to the undersea tunnel and buried together.

“Red Lotus, start the underwater construction simulation.”

“Alright.”

On the holographic projection screen, the submarine entered the seabed, extended a huge drill, and began to excavate.

With the seawater cooling the drill, its temperature remained manageable.

However, as they dug, the sand at the sea’s bottom churned.

The seawater turned turbid.

“Stop, stop the simulation. Design a ship that can dredge and absorb the sand. When the submarine is constructing, suction away all the excavated sand.”

After Tang Rui called for a halt, he made another request.

The design of the sand suction boat was completed quickly, in less than five minutes.

This was because there was an existing template for it. He could use it with minor modifications. It was not complicated at all.

He ran the simulation again.

With the sand suction boat, the submarine’s operations wouldn’t affect the surrounding waters.

That was sufficient.

Construction was one aspect, but it was crucial not to harm the environment.

The water in Bohai Bay was already murky. If another construction project occurred, the Bohai Sea would turn into the Yellow Sea.

Next, Red Lotus simulated non-stop, and Tang Rui continually suggested modifications.

In less than three hours, the design of the seabed excavation submarine was completed. All aspects met Tang Rui’s requirements, and further modifications were unnecessary.

Now, only three challenges remained for Tang Rui.

One was to dig deep underground and access several oil fields.

He intended to build the necessary equipment himself.

There was also the issue of the undersea tunnel’s recoil. This was somewhat troublesome, but he already had an idea.

If a technical problem couldn’t be solved, it could be addressed with engineering solutions.

For instance, wrapping a layer of high-strength nano tubes around the undersea tunnel could prevent water leakage.

As long as there was no leakage, even if the undersea tunnel broke and part of it distorted, it wouldn’t compromise the entire tunnel’s safety.

A more drastic method was to install a safety gate at certain intervals.

In case of a leak, the gate would be lowered, sealing off the tunnel.

The last and most difficult problem was the drilling platform.

However, this wasn’t a challenge that could be overcome with technology alone.

Therefore, the only solution he could think of was to construct the drilling platform himself.

At that time, he would have the support of the system interface.

Be it a tsunami or a meteorite impact, he could instantly upgrade the drilling platform and then fire a Star Destroyer Cannon at the meteorite.

“Red Lotus, upload the construction prerequisites and the blueprints of the sand suction boat to the database. Tell them to start construction as soon as possible..”