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CNOOC Sets National Record for Long-Duration Operation of Ammonia Synthesis Plant Author/Source: Sinochem News Network Date: 11-06-2020 Clicks: 44 On November 5, the China Fertilizer Industry Association sent a congratulatory letter to CNOOC’s CNOOC Petrochemical Co., Ltd. The congratulatory letter stated that the Fertilizer Department 2 of CNOOC Offshore Oil Fudao Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CNOOC Chemical, achieved a continuous operation period of 553 days on November 4, breaking the record for continuous operation of ammonia synthesis units that use natural gas as raw material. This is a clear reflection of the company’s advanced level of refined management in production, and it also represents the highest standard in synthetic ammonia production and management in our country at present. It is understood that the previous record for the long-duration operation of an ammonia synthesis plant was set by Yuntianhua, at 552 days. As the first fertilizer production facility built independently by China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s downstream business unit, the ammonia synthesis unit of the second fertilizer plant managed to operate for periods of over 300 days on three separate occasions in 2008, 2012, and 2014. In 2020 it achieved another remarkable milestone, overcoming various challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in the composition of natural gas, leaks in the intercoolers of air compressors, shaft failures in the fast-boiler fans, and typhoons, thus setting a new record across the country. Wang Weimin, Party Secretary and Chairman of CNOOC Chemical, said, “The global ‘pandemic’ of COVID-19 and the ‘steep decline’ in international oil prices pose serious challenges to the company’s production and operations at both macro and micro levels.” As one of the largest nitrogen fertilizer manufacturers in the country, Zhonghai Chemical regards the long-term operation of its production facilities as the most effective means to reduce costs and increase efficiency. It focuses on achieving better results through lean management, simultaneously addressing key tasks such as epidemic prevention and control, production operations, and transformation and upgrading. By uniting efforts from all parties, it strives to overcome market challenges and leverages the wisdom of all employees to plan for sustainable development. The Fushima Company’s Fertilizer Department 2 broke a national record, which not only **boosted the confidence and morale of its employees but also laid a stronger foundation for us to fulfill our annual production and operation goals. ” It is understood that as of November 4, aside from the ammonia synthesis unit in the Fertilizer Division 2, the two methanol production units of Tomishima Company had been in operation for 562 days and 437 days respectively, both breaking the original long-operating-duration records for those units. It is reported that Tomishima Company has been strengthening refined management and focusing on solidifying basic support services. In recent years, Tomishima Company has gradually improved its level of refined management by focusing on fundamental tasks such as equipment management, process technology analysis, safety risk control, and employee skill training. In terms of strengthening fundamental support measures, they enhanced communication with upstream terminals to ensure a stable supply of natural gas; improved the evaluation, inspection, and maintenance of key equipment by implementing a hierarchical management system, thereby ensuring the safe and stable operation of such equipment; accelerated the updating and technical upgrading of electrical and instrumentation equipment, reducing the failure rate of these devices; placed greater emphasis on the strategic, systematic, and long-term aspects of ensuring the safe and stable operation of the facilities, taking proactive measures in advance to improve operational stability; standardized the process of identifying potential safety hazards, allowing for early detection of such issues and thus reducing safety risks; promoted technical exchanges among facilities of similar types to learn from others’ experiences and improve the ability to analyze and diagnose faults; strengthened emergency management efforts, taking preventive actions against severe weather conditions such as typhoons and heavy rains, and enhancing the capacity for emergency response; and improved employee training to raise their operational skills. It is understood that, under the leadership of Sinopec Chemical and Tomishima Company, Department 2 for Fertilizers ensures that \"everyone has responsibilities and takes action in their respective positions.\" Operations managers focus on aspects such as external environment analysis, system establishment, and employee skill training in order to ensure the stable operation of the facility; process engineers concentrate on process optimization, control of critical operations, and management of potential hazards to maintain stable facility operation; equipment technicians pay attention to equipment integrity, lubrication, maintenance, and spare parts management to ensure the proper functioning of the facility; while process operators handle tasks related to hazard identification, routine maintenance, monitoring of key equipment, and prevention of errors in order to support stable facility operation. It is reported that during the device’s long-term operation, its comprehensive energy consumption reached a historic low, resulting in savings of 39,862 tons of standard coal in natural gas usage, which laid the foundation for achieving the goals of reducing costs, improving quality, and enhancing efficiency.