[Haichuan Chemical Salary News] Construction has begun on the Wenjisan gas storage facility complex in the Tuhai Oil Field in Xinjiang, with a total investment of 7 billion yuan
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Total investment of 7 billion yuan! Construction began on the Wengjisang gas storage facility complex in the Tuha Oil Field in Xinjiang, operated by CNPC. On April 19, CNPC announced that **this key energy development project, and China’s first gas storage facility complex in the western part of the country – the Wengjisang gas storage facility complex in the Tuha Oil Field – has officially commenced construction. Upon completion, this storage facility will, together with the already existing Hutubi gas storage depot in Xinjiang and other gas storage facilities such as those used for gas-driven oil extraction in the Tarim region, form a 20 billion cubic meter gas storage hub in China’s northwest. This will ensure the secure supply of gas to the West-East Gas Pipeline and the cities along its route, further enhancing the safety capabilities of China’s natural gas transportation networks in the western part of the country. It is reported that the Wengjisang gas storage complex is located in Shanshan County, Xinjiang. It was developed by converting three depleted gas reservoirs – Wensixi 1, Qiudong, and Wen 8 – into storage facilities. The total investment in this project amounts to 7 billion yuan, with a designed total storage capacity of 5.6 billion cubic meters and a usable gas capacity of 2 billion cubic meters. It is expected that the construction work at this site will be completed by 2025, after which the facilities will begin to operate gradually. This is the first gas storage complex in our country of the low-permeability, low-productivity, highly heterogeneous complex gas reservoir type, and it also serves as an important supporting project for the West-East Gas Pipeline.
Underground gas storage facilities created by converting depleted gas reservoirs face four major world-class challenges: 1) there is no theoretical guidance for evaluating the dynamic sealing properties of complex fault blocks, leaving few viable options for such storage facilities; 2) the flow mechanisms associated with fast injection and extraction in low-permeability, highly heterogeneous reservoirs are not well understood, and foreign-based methods cannot be used to utilize the gas storage space efficiently; 3) the engineering technologies and equipment available are insufficient to meet the requirements for constructing high-quality wells as well as for high-pressure, high-flow injection and extraction operations; 4) it is difficult to ensure the safe operation of the gas storage geology and wells, as well as to manage related risks, under conditions of long-term intensive injection and extraction.
After nearly 20 years of continuous research, CNPC has made significant breakthroughs in key technologies for complex gas storage facilities: 1. It developed a theory for dynamic sealing in complex geological formations, overcoming the limitations associated with selecting sites in complex faulted areas; this theory guided the selection of sites for gas storage facilities with a capacity of 65 billion cubic meters. 2. It created theories and optimization methods for utilizing the storage capacity of complex gas reservoir-based storage facilities, addressing the challenge of efficient use of storage space. As a result, the design error in capacity parameters was reduced from 26% using foreign methods to 6%, while the capacity utilization rate increased from 70% to over 90%. 3. It innovated key construction technologies for gas storage facilities under complex conditions, solving problems such as long-term sealing of cement rings under alternating loads, leak prevention during drilling under high pressure differences, and the development of key equipment for high-pressure, high-flow injection and production processes. This led to the creation of a technical framework suitable for building gas storage facilities in China’s complex geological conditions. 4. It developed technologies for early warning and risk management during the long-term operation of complex gas storage facilities, establishing a risk management system that takes into account geological conditions, wells, and surface facilities. To date, no accidents have occurred in these gas storage facilities.
The Tuhajingisan gas storage complex, located in Shanshan County, Xinjiang, consists of three gas storage facilities. The total investment in this project amounts to 7 billion yuan, with a designed total storage capacity of 5.6 billion cubic meters; its capacity for regulating natural gas supply peaks at 2 billion cubic meters. A gas reservoir functions as an underground \"granary\" for natural gas; it is filled during periods of low natural gas consumption, and the gas is extracted when demand is high. Gas storage facilities play an irreplaceable role in dealing with extreme weather and emergencies, ensuring access to gas for civilian use, and serving as strategic reserves. To date, China has built 27 gas storage facilities, with a peak-shaving capacity of over 12 billion cubic meters, which accounts for less than 4% of the country’s annual natural gas consumption. This figure is still far below the internationally accepted standard of 12-15%. Recently, five departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the \"Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Natural Gas Reserve Capacity.\" The document calls for accelerating the construction of gas storage infrastructure, improving overall planning and layout, and promoting the interconnection of infrastructure such as natural gas pipelines and liquefied natural gas receiving stations.