Largest gas storage facility in the central-eastern region completed expansion

Thread Content

On October 31, **Wen23 Gas Storage Facility of the Pipeline Network Group**, the largest gas storage facility in central and eastern China, was upgraded. Its daily capacity for peak-demand gas supply now amounts to 36.5 million cubic meters, representing a 22% increase in its overall gas storage and peak-demand handling capacity. It is reported that the total designed capacity of the Wen 23 gas storage facility exceeds 10 billion cubic meters, with a working gas volume of 4.002 billion cubic meters; its designed gas extraction capacity is 39 million cubic meters per day. It plays a key role in ensuring a stable supply of natural gas in the central and eastern regions of China. The gas storage facility is planned to be built in two phases; the design capacity for the first phase is 8.4 billion cubic meters, with a usable gas volume of 3.2 billion cubic meters ； The second phase involves the construction of 24 new injection and production wells, the expansion of existing injection and production stations, the addition of 4 new gas injection compressors, as well as the construction of 4 cluster well sites and corresponding gas collection and transportation trunk lines. With the completion of the phase II expansion project, the Wen 23 gas storage facility has gained an additional storage capacity of 1.934 billion cubic meters, as well as an extra 520 million cubic meters of usable gas volume. Its daily gas injection capacity has increased by 8 million cubic meters, while its daily capacity for peak-shaving gas extraction has risen by 6.5 million cubic meters; overall, its gas storage and peak-shaving capabilities have improved by 22%. During the peak period of natural gas supply in winter, the daily gas output from storage facilities can meet the demand of 65 million households. It is understood that through independent innovation and domesticization efforts, the capacity expansion project of the Wen23 Gas Storage Facility has achieved the domestic production of key equipment such as compressor units and triethylene glycol dehydration units, thereby enhancing the operational stability and self-reliance of the equipment. In terms of intelligent operation, the Wen23 gas storage facility utilizes technologies such as laser methane telemetry pan-tilt systems and remote online monitoring of compressors to enable intelligent functions like remote adjustment of processes, one-click start/stop of compressors, and remote shutdown of safety valves both on the surface and underground. This facilitates the creation of an intelligent operation system that covers the entire business process chain of the gas storage facility. To date, the Wen 23 gas reservoir has undergone six injection and five production cycles, with the total volume of gas injected and produced exceeding 24 billion cubic meters. It is estimated that the Wen 23 gas storage facility has delivered a total of 28.41 million tons of natural gas as a substitute for standard coal, resulting in a reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions by about 630,000 tons, dust emissions by about 75,000 tons, and carbon dioxide emissions by about 24.14 million tons. This is equivalent to planting 1.01 million hectares of broadleaf forests. “Since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, **Pipeline Network Group has accelerated the construction of LNG receiving stations and underground gas storage facilities. It has completed the construction and put into operation the Zhangzhou LNG receiving station and the second phase of the Tianjin LNG receiving station, and finished expansion projects for gas storage facilities in Jintan, Liuzhuang, and Wen23, thereby adding nearly 5 billion cubic meters of additional gas storage capacity. This has provided important support for the development of China’s natural gas production, supply, storage, and distribution infrastructure.