【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】From 1815 to 2024, Shaanxi Coal and Geology Group successfully extracted the world’s first batch of oil-rich coal tar

Thread Content

Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** On January 15, 2024, the “Presentation on the Results of the Pilot Project for In-situ Thermal Pyrolysis Extraction of Oil-rich Coal in Northern Shaanxi” was successfully held in Yulin, organized jointly by Shaanxi Coalfield Geology Group Co., Ltd. and the Key Laboratory of Coal Resource Exploration and Comprehensive Utilization under the Ministry of Natural Resources. Academicians Qiu Aici, Peng Suping, Zhao Wenzhi, Jin Zhixin of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Academician Wang Guoquan, Academician Wang Shuangming, Academician Li Ning, Academician Sun Huanquan, and Academician Pan Yishan; Hou Shenjian, President of the Geological Branch of the China Coal Industry Association; Dang Hongwei, Chief Engineer of the Shaanxi Provincial Energy Bureau; Liu Wenjun, Head of the Supervisory Board for State-owned Enterprises under the Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission; and Zhao Jun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Shaanxi Investment Group, attended the press conference. Xie Hui, Deputy General Manager of Shaanxi Investment Group, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shaanxi Coal Geology Group, presided over the meeting. Under the witness of over 100 experts and guests in attendance, the world’s first batch of underground in-situ pyrolyzed coal tar was produced. Xie Hui said that in recent years, the Shaanxi Coalfield Geology Group has adhered to the principles of being led by academicians, taking on responsibilities as a state-owned enterprise, being brave in innovation, and daring to be pioneers. By leveraging the Key Laboratory for Coal Resource Exploration and Comprehensive Utilization under the Ministry of Natural Resources, and making use of the advantages in scientific research and innovation resources provided by \"Qin Chuangyuan\", the group carried out experimental studies on in-situ pyrolytic extraction of oil-rich coal in the BaoDang coalfield in northern Shaanxi. After three years of collaborative efforts by industry, academia, and research institutions, in September 2023 the process for underground in-situ pyrolysis of oil-rich coal was successfully developed for the first time. In October, the world’s first batch of in-situ pyrolysis tar was extracted, marking a significant breakthrough that moved coal extraction from a stage of \"zero\" to \"one\" and representing an innovative approach toward achieving the goal of turning coal fields into oil fields through in-situ extraction. Peng Suping said that the **‘Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China’ state that it is necessary to advance efforts toward achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality in a proactive and prudent manner, by focusing on controlling the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal and improving the clean and efficient use of coal. The method of in-situ underground pyrolysis extraction of oil-rich coal maximizes the recovery of hydrogen while retaining carbon from these resources, and it is of great significance for the green and low-carbon transformation of the coal industry. Wang Shuangming believes that the technology of in-situ thermal pyrolysis for oil extraction from rich-oil coal represents a breakthrough from \"zero\" to \"one\" in achieving green and low-carbon goals. Its significance lies in providing a new approach to increasing oil and gas supplies by taking advantage of China’s domestic resource characteristics, as well as offering a new direction for the low-carbon and sustainable exploitation of coal. This technology provides ample room for the development of Shaanxi’s coal industry and will play a very important and irreplaceable role in ensuring energy security. Liu Wenjun pointed out that as a major energy province in China, Shaanxi ranks fourth in terms of coal resources and third in terms of coal production. In response to the strategic requirements for establishing a new energy structure, Shaanxi Coal Geology Group has taken advantage of the region’s resource endowments, been bold enough to innovate and try new approaches, and made efforts to extract useful resources from coal. It was the first to conduct pilot tests on in-situ coal extraction, achieving success in doing so – this opens up new possibilities for the low-carbon development of coal resources in the future. Zhao Jun said that the successful holding of this press conference on the achievements of in-situ thermal pyrolysis extraction of rich-coal reserves is a demonstration of Shaanxi Coal Geology Group’s commitment to technological innovation over the years. It will surely drive the innovative development of related industries, providing new momentum for the enterprises to build on their strengths and move forward steadily and sustainably. It is requested that Shaanxi Coal Geology Group continue to strengthen cooperation with relevant research platforms as well as academicians and experts, conduct in-depth investigations and develop scientific strategies for new technologies aimed at the efficient exploitation and utilization of resource-rich coal and other advantageous energy resources. Ultimately, a new technical framework that integrates safe and environmentally sustainable coal mining methods with efficient and clean utilization techniques should be established, so as to make further greater contributions to ensuring **energy security. This project is a pilot trial for the in-situ thermal pyrolysis extraction of oil-rich coal in northern Shaanxi, carried out by Shaanxi Coal Geology Group in collaboration with Xi’an Jiaotong University and Xi’an University of Science and Technology, and utilizing the Key Laboratory of Coal Resource Exploration and Comprehensive Utilization under the Ministry of Natural Resources, at the Dabaochang coalfield in Yulin. For 70 years, Shaanxi Coal Geology Group has always kept the interests of the nation at heart and remained true to its original mission of serving the country through geology work. In the early 1980s, it discovered and mapped out the Shenfu coal field, providing a solid and reliable resource foundation for the strategic shift of coal development to the west. Today, the pilot tests for the in-situ thermal decomposition extraction of rich-oil coal have been successful, providing strong technical support for \"creating another Daqing Oil Field\" in the Yulin area. In the new era with new missions, Shaanxi Coal Geology Group will consciously focus on both markets and take on its three responsibilities. It will fully play the role of a strategic think tank and a pioneer in the energy industry, making new and greater contributions to ensuring energy security and promoting green and low-carbon development. Oil-rich coal refers to a special type of coal resource with a tar yield of 7% to 12%; it possesses properties characteristic of both coal and oil gases, and is mainly found in the western regions of China. Under in-situ underground conditions with air isolation, rich-oil coal can be used for medium- and low-temperature pyrolysis to preferentially extract **scarce oil and gas resources, thereby producing pyrolytic semi-coke that can serve as a substitute for anthracite and coking coal.