This paper comprehensively summarizes the important achievements made by Institute of Exploration Techniques， CAGS on directional drilling technology and survey tools， deep drilling technology and equipment， offshore drilling technology and equipment during the 13th Five-Year Plan. These achievements mainly include innovations in directional drilling and well intersection technology which has helped the second-round offshore natural gas hydrate production test realizing a leap from “exploratory production test” to “trial production test”； organization and implementation of Well SK-2 scientific drilling project where significant breakthroughs have been made on theory， technology， engineering and equipment； development of the first domestic deep sea wellhead suction anchor which has solved the insufficient support problem with the wellhead in deep sea shallow soft stratum. Moreover， this paper also analyses the existing problems and challenges with an outlook made on the institute’s future research activities in the coming 14th Five-Year Plan.