Urumqi Petrochemical’s carbon dioxide recovery unit reaches a new monthly production record

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On September 16, several carbon dioxide transport vehicles entered the site of the carbon dioxide recovery facility in an orderly manner, within the premises of the Fertilizer Department of China National Petroleum Urumqi Petrochemical Company (hereinafter referred to as Urumqi Petrochemical). The staff members used smart detectors to conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicles’ appearance and safety accessories, and after confirming everything was in order, they guided the vehicles to park in the correct positions. At the instruction of the filling shift leader, two loading and unloading workers quickly carried out the pipeline loading connection procedures. In just one and a half hours, the four transport vehicles completed loading 100 tons of liquid carbon dioxide onto them and slowly left the site of the carbon dioxide recovery facility. It is reported that in August, the facility achieved a new record in liquid carbon dioxide production, with a year-on-year increase of 63.64% and a month-on-month increase of 20%. This domestically produced fully automated carbon dioxide recovery system covers an area of over 5,500 square meters. Thanks to its core technology, it converts the carbon dioxide emitted during production from a gaseous state to a liquid state for reuse. The recovered carbon dioxide undergoes a transformation from \"waste gas\" to \"resource.\" The working principle involves carbon dioxide recovery units that use processes such as two-stage pressurization, drying and dehydration, and cryogenic cooling to convert the high-concentration carbon dioxide gas generated during the hydrogen supply process into a liquid state, which is then stored safely in carbon dioxide product tanks. “This is the carbon recovery and capture of carbon resources, and it is also a prerequisite for the reuse of waste gases. ” Carbon dioxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is invisible under normal conditions; it is a type of asphyxiating gas that does not support combustion nor is it flammable. In daily life, carbon dioxide is mostly added to foods such as soda, as well as used for cooling in industry and food production, such as in the form of dry ice; its utilization rate is relatively low. However, in the oil extraction process, compared to water-driven carbon dioxide, it has the functions of extraction, pumping, and viscosity reduction; it can form a mixed phase with crude oil, thereby significantly increasing the oil recovery rate and enabling more effective displacement of crude oil. Liquid carbon dioxide is transported to oil fields via specialized vehicles and injected deep into underground wells, where it \"works underground\" to support the extraction of crude oil in the Xinjiang and Zhundong oil fields. It fulfills the role of turning waste into a valuable resource; by enabling oil extraction while utilizing carbon, and after driving out the crude oil, it is also sealed underground, thus helping to reduce emissions while increasing production. From its commissioning on November 27, 2023, to the end of August 2025, this carbon dioxide recovery facility has sold a total of 102,400 tons of carbon dioxide, laying a solid foundation for Xinjiang’s large-scale carbon reduction efforts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. In the future, Wushihua Petrochemical will continue to focus on carbon recovery technologies in order to further improve the operational efficiency of its facilities, thereby contributing more to the regional development in a green and low-carbon manner.