【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】From 2029 to 2025, the core equipment for Puguang Gas Field, China’s first high-sulfur natural gas processing facility with a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters, was manufactured domestically
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Kudos and encouragement to China’s chemical technology and equipment industry for its achievements! Your participation in the discussions serves as the greatest motivation. ********************** [Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Equipment] This is a continuously updated compilation post; all are welcome to join the discussion: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** On December 29, it was learned from the Puguang Branch of Zhongyuan Oilfield that the project aimed at localizing the lean amine pumps and hydraulic turbine units at its natural gas purification plant has been a resounding success. This achievement has broken foreign countries’ long-standing technological monopoly and filled a gap in China’s domestic hydraulic turbine technology within the field of high-sulfur natural gas purification. As China’s first high-sulfur natural gas purification facility with a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters, the amine-depleted liquid pumps and hydraulic turbine units at the Puguang Gas Field’s natural gas purification plant are the core equipment of the purification process. The originally imported products have been in service for 16 years beyond their intended lifespan, resulting in significant risks of failures. Additionally, due to adjustments in process parameters that kept them away from their optimal operating range for a long time, the flow rates of the lean amine pump and the hydraulic turbine were only 57.5% and 68.3% of their values at high efficiency, leading to high energy consumption. In addition, issues such as high prices of imported equipment, long maintenance times, and delayed availability of spare parts hinder the efficient and stable operation of the installations. Guided by **energy-saving and carbon-reduction policies as well as the trend toward domestic production of high-end equipment, this project has been designated as a key task for Sinopec to focus on. The project team innovatively integrated the theory of pump reversal with turbine pump design concepts to develop a new type of turbine hydraulic model ； The reinstallation of the unit without any modifications is achieved through 3D laser scanning for mapping and couplings with adjustable axial length ； After optimization, the flow rate of the units at the high-efficiency point exceeds 95% in all cases, completely resolving the issue of mismatched operating conditions. The domestic-produced units offer significant economic benefits: the purchase price per unit has dropped from 14 million yuan to 7.09 million yuan, and 12 such units can save 82.92 million yuan in equipment acquisition costs ； A single unit can save 800,000 kWh of electricity per year, resulting in cost savings of 400,000 yuan; 12 such units can save 9.6 million kWh of electricity per year, leading to cost savings of 4.8 million yuan. At the same time, the shortened delivery time for the units and reduced maintenance costs have led to the development of several key technologies, which lay the foundation for the localization of future equipment. This holds significant illustrative value for ensuring self-sufficiency and control over similar domestic devices and equipment.
On December 21st, following several days of monitoring, the three medium-pressure steam boilers in the power station of the natural gas purification plant at the Puguang branch of the Zhongyuan Oilfield achieved an energy efficiency level of over 92.4% after undergoing low-nitrogen combustion modifications. The emissions of nitrogen oxides were kept below 30 milligrams per standard cubic meter, which is lower than Sichuan Province’s local standard of 50 milligrams per standard cubic meter. This achievement provides strong impetus for the green transformation of the oilfield. The power station is the \"power heart\" of the natural gas purification plant; the three medium-pressure steam boilers, A, B, and C, are responsible for providing a steady supply of steam to the downstream purification equipment. However, nitrogen oxides are generated during boiler combustion; before the modification, the boiler’s nitrogen oxide emissions amounted to 150–200 milligrams per standard cubic meter. To reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and support the green transformation of gas fields, Puguang Branch established a specialized technical team to address this issue. After multiple rounds of process evaluation, the combined approach of \"low-nitrogen burners + flue gas recirculation\" was ultimately chosen – this approach utilizes flue gas recirculation to significantly reduce the generation of nitrogen oxides. During the renovation, the company implemented an operational management model involving “staggered timing, off-peak scheduling, and regional separation.” It meticulously planned its operations and took measures such as setting up physical barriers, assigning dedicated personnel for inspections, and implementing risk classification and control mechanisms. As a result, the number of high-risk operations decreased by 70%, and the boiler upgrade was completed 25 days ahead of schedule, achieving simultaneous improvements in both efficiency and safety. This renovation has achieved breakthroughs in both energy conservation and environmental protection, making the \"heart of power\" in the gas field stronger and more reliable. It not only provides solid support for ensuring energy supply during winter but also lays a solid foundation for the green and low-carbon development of oil and gas fields.
The first domestically produced high-sulfur content compression unit at the Puguang gas field has operated for over 20,000 hours 32,389 views Author: Zhu Wenwen, Jiang Jingyao, Henan Petrochemical News December 22, 2025 According to Sinochem News, as of December 21, China’s first high-sulfur content natural gas compression unit at Station 101 of the Puguang gas field had operated safely for more than 20,000 hours, thereby demonstrating the suitability and reliability of domestically produced equipment in such conditions. Since its commissioning, this unit has operated stably, enabling an increase in natural gas production of 110 million cubic meters, marking a significant step forward for China in the field of domestic equipment use in high-sulfur gas fields. Twenty thousand hours of stable operation reflect the arduous journey taken by domestic equipment from breaking through limitations to taking the lead. As China’s first large-scale high-sulfur gas field, the Puguang Gas Field was once hindered by the development bottleneck of declining production due to falling formation pressure. To this end, Sinopec designated the \"pressurized gathering and transportation technology for high-sulfur gas fields\" as a key scientific and technological project during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. In 2022, a pilot project for pressurizing acidic gas was completed, giving birth to China’s first high-sulfur compression unit that was designed and manufactured domestically and owned independent intellectual property rights. The hydrogen sulfide concentration in the Puguang gas field is as high as 15%. In response to the high sulfur content and associated corrosion issues, the company has used specialized sulfur-resistant materials to upgrade and protect the key components of the unit, thereby improving its wear resistance ； A dual safeguard system of \"regular inspections + intelligent monitoring\" is established to track the operating parameters of the units in real time, ensuring that they remain in their optimal operating condition at all times. In addition, the technical team has carried out various technological innovations and process optimizations; by improving the sealing structure and optimizing the lubrication system, among other measures, this compressor unit has achieved an advanced level in the industry with regard to key parameters such as corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and automatic control. The successful commissioning of the first domestically produced high-sulfur compressor unit provides valuable experience for boosting the overall wet gas pressure in the gas field. The Puguang gas field brought online its main wet gas compression project in 2024; currently, the field has 3 compression stations and 9 compression units, with a daily natural gas processing capacity of 12 million cubic meters.
The Puguang Gas Field underwent the localization upgrade of its PLC systems – 4,655 views. Authors: Wang Yuan, Guo Zhiyuan. Source: China Chemical Industry News, December 3, 2025. According to Sinochem News, on November 28, the natural gas purification plant of the Puguang branch of the Zhongyuan Oilfield completed the localization upgrade of six programmable logic controller (PLC) systems. The six PLC systems that are being upgraded in this project have all been in operation for over 16 years, and they are all of imported brands. In this initiative, the PLC systems associated with two sulfur molding machines, two fiber filters in the circulating water system, one sludge removal unit in the wastewater treatment plant, and one side filtration system in the circulating water system are being upgraded to domestic models. The core of this upgrade is to replace all the core components that have gradually aged over the past 16 years – including the main processor, various interface modules for different functions, and the entire power supply system – with standardized, high-performance domestic models. “We don’t resort to piecemeal fixes; instead, we carry out a complete replacement of the hardware. The original control logic and production processes were perfectly ‘copied’ to the new system; operators still have access to the same familiar and user-friendly monitoring interface, achieving a true ‘seamless transition’ that allows immediate use. ”Zhao Sanqun, senior supervisor of the plant’s engineering equipment management department, said.
Puguang Gas Field Overcomes the Challenges Posed by High-Sulfur Content in Purification Equipment – 33,826 views. Authors: Jiang Xiaomao, Wang Yuan, Wei Jinghui. Source: Sinochem News Network, November 26, 2025. Finding a \"Chinese formula\" for the amine solution system. According to Sinochem News Network, on November 25, at the sixth combined unit of the natural gas purification plant at Puguang Branch of Sinopec’s Zhongyuan Oilfield, two workers from the second operation shift in the purification workshop were using a defoaming agent injection system to add such agents to the amine solution system. The antifoam agent they use is a domestically produced antifoam selected by the factory’s R&D team using a standardized testing platform and a dual evaluation system based on domestic and international standards; it was put into official use at the beginning of this year. “This is akin to finding a dedicated ‘Chinese formula’ for the amine solution system, enabling the equipment to operate more stably and efficiently. ”Huang Xiaolin, a technical expert at the factory, described this breakthrough in these terms. The purification of high-sulfur natural gas is a key technical aspect in ensuring a secure supply of clean energy. As the first high-sulfur natural gas processing facility in the country with a capacity of over 10 billion cubic meters, this plant uses an amine-based desulfurization process to treat complex feed gases containing hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and organic sulfur. The amine circulation system encounters serious foaming problems during long-term operation, which leads to frequent liquid accumulation in the desulfurization towers and an abnormally high amount of flash vapor, directly affecting the safety and efficiency of the plant’s operations. Previously, the plant relied on imported defoamers to maintain system stability; not only were the costs high, but more problematically, as gas field development progressed and the composition of natural gas became more complex, imported defoamers suffered from reduced adaptability and insufficient compatibility. Faced with this critical challenge, the factory’s technical team innovatively developed a standardized testing platform and a unique dual-track evaluation system for domestic and international standards. Liu Huaixu, a member of the R&D team, explained: “We simulated extreme conditions such as high temperatures of 90°C and interference from FeS impurities, and developed a four-dimensional evaluation model, which is the first of its kind both domestically and internationally.” ” After extensive experimental comparisons, the team ultimately selected a domestically produced antifoaming agent suitable for MDEA solutions. At an extremely low dosage of just 1.7 ppm, this defoamer keeps the foam height within 5–10 millimeters; it also reduces the defoaming time to 1–2 seconds. Its performance exceeds that of imported products by 18%. Ding Hong, a technician working on the production frontline, has keenly experienced the changes brought about by this innovation: ‘The problem of amine solution foaming is akin to a plant having a ‘cold with a stuffy nose’. Now, by using domestically produced anti-foaming agents, the frequency of liquid accumulation in the plant has been reduced by over 50%.’ ”Apart from significantly improving operational stability, this technology has also brought considerable economic benefits, reducing the annual overall costs by 960,000 yuan. More strategically, the team transformed the practical outcomes into industry standards, contributing to the revision and improvement of **Standard GB/T 26527-2024. “This means that we have not only solved our own problems but also provided a Chinese solution that can serve as a model for similar systems around the world. ”Project leader Peng Chuanbo said proudly. This breakthrough marks an important shift in our country’s field of high-sulfur natural gas purification, from relying on foreign technologies to achieving independent innovation, and from following existing standards to setting new rules; it contributes significantly to ensuring **energy security**.
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【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】The pilot production base of the Hami High-Oil Coal Research Institute, covering the period 2020–2025, was officially put into use in Yiwu County. https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5709304-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum (HCBBS))
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【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Equipment】2939-2025: The core equipment for the Puguang Gas Field, China’s first purification facility for high-sulfur natural gas with a capacity exceeding 10 billion cubic meters, has been successfully localized. https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5709886-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Forum (HCBBS))
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