【History of Haichuan Pipelines】China’s first oil pipeline – the Karamay Dushanzi Oil Pipeline

The earliest crude oil pipeline built after the founding of the country was the Karamay-Dushanzi crude oil pipeline, commonly referred to as the K-Ду crude oil pipeline. The pipeline is 147.2 kilometers long, has a diameter of 159 millimeters, a design pressure of 7.0 MPa, and a transport capacity of 530,000 tons per year; it was completed and put into operation in January 1959. As the production of the Karamay oil field increased, the second and third Karamay-Douglas crude oil pipelines were built concurrently in 1962 and 1991 respectively. Currently, the “second” and “third” are still working, while the “first” has retired.

Life > Historical Insights 【Historical Insights】The Birth of China’s First Long-Distance Pipeline July 22, 2020, 18:11 Source: China Petroleum and Petrochemical Industry Author: Xiao Quanfu Print Font Size The cost of oil transportation is **reduced, with all investments recovered within 3 years after the pipeline was completed. 　　In May 1956, after the discovery of the Karamay oil field, more than a year of drilling and testing ensued, during which 74 wells were put into operation. To address the conflict between the rapidly increasing crude oil production and the needs for its transportation and processing, the Petroleum Industry Ministry decided to build an oil pipeline 147 kilometers long between Karamay and Dushanzi. 　　Bidding for project participation: On January 3, 1958, Liu Yaowu, the manager of the Yumen Oilfield Infrastructure Company, led a group of budgeting specialists, carpenters, and quality control officers on a truck to Urumqi in order to bid for the project; it took 7 days for the truck to reach its destination. Other entities that participated in the bidding included Lanzhou Refinery and Dushanzi Power Plant. Following a competitive bidding process, the Oil Construction Company secured the contract to build the Ke-Du pipeline on behalf of the Yumen Petroleum Administration. 　　The Oil Construction Company dispatched the Xinjiang Engineering Brigade, headed by Cui Haitian as the brigade commander and the combat hero Huang Guopan as the party branch secretary, to Xinjiang to rush the construction of the long-distance oil pipeline from Karamay to Dushanzi. As required, the personnel of this unit must have a high level of political awareness, excellent technical skills, a strong willingness to endure hardships, and the ability to operate independently. Therefore, the members of this brigade were selected and organized by Youjian Company, and they are equipped with capable officers. Ting Qi and Li Shucai, who are long-serving employees, serve as deputy team leaders, while Jin Said is the head of the union. The brigade is divided into 3 squadrons, with the commanders of 2 of these squadrons being Li Dewu and Du Quanjing, soldiers from the 2nd Regiment of the Petroleum Division. The entire team consists of 380 people, with 40% being demobilized officers and soldiers from the 2nd Petroleum Division. They carried tents, luggage, and a few pieces of equipment, following the route taken by Tang Sanzang on his quest for scriptures, crossing the Gobi Desert and Mount Flaming Fire to head toward the Junggar Basin.

Life > Historical Insights 【Historical Insights】The Birth of China’s First Long-Distance Pipeline July 22, 2020, 18:11 Source: China Petroleum and Petrochemical Industry Author: Xiao Quanfu Print Font Size The cost of oil transportation is **reduced, with all investments recovered within 3 years after the pipeline was completed. 　　In May 1956, after the discovery of the Karamay oil field, more than a year of drilling and testing ensued, during which 74 wells were put into operation. To address the conflict between the rapidly increasing crude oil production and the needs for its transportation and processing, the Petroleum Industry Ministry decided to build an oil pipeline 147 kilometers long between Karamay and Dushanzi. 　　Bidding for project participation: On January 3, 1958, Liu Yaowu, the manager of the Yumen Oilfield Infrastructure Company, led a group of budgeting specialists, carpenters, and quality control officers on a truck to Urumqi in order to bid for the project; it took 7 days for the truck to reach its destination. Other entities that participated in the bidding included Lanzhou Refinery and Dushanzi Power Plant. Following a competitive bidding process, the Oil Construction Company secured the contract to build the Ke-Du pipeline on behalf of the Yumen Petroleum Administration. 　　The Oil Construction Company dispatched the Xinjiang Engineering Brigade, headed by Cui Haitian as the brigade commander and the combat hero Huang Guopan as the party branch secretary, to Xinjiang to rush the construction of the long-distance oil pipeline from Karamay to Dushanzi. As required, the personnel of this unit must have a high level of political awareness, excellent technical skills, a strong willingness to endure hardships, and the ability to operate independently. Therefore, the members of this brigade were selected and organized by Youjian Company, and they are equipped with capable officers. Ting Qi and Li Shucai, who are long-serving employees, serve as deputy team leaders, while Jin Said is the head of the union. The brigade is divided into 3 squadrons, with the commanders of 2 of these squadrons being Li Dewu and Du Quanjing, soldiers from the 2nd Regiment of the Petroleum Division. The entire team consists of 380 people, with 40% being demobilized officers and soldiers from the 2nd Petroleum Division. They carried tents, luggage, and a few pieces of equipment, following the route taken by Tang Sanzang on his quest for scriptures, crossing the Gobi Desert and Mount Flaming Fire to head toward the Junggar Basin.

On March 5, 1958, the first advance team of 35 people arrived at the construction site in Karamay to set up tents, build stoves, and carry out preliminary preparations. On April 5, the second group crossed Star Pass and advanced westward. On April 17, the third group arrived at their destination. 　　At that time, convoys of trucks from the Ministry of Petroleum’s transportation company were coming along the dusty Gansu-Xinjiang highway, loaded with bundles of seamless steel pipes. One of the vehicles was occupied by Professor Zhang Ying from Beijing Petroleum Institute and 40 interns from Beijing Petroleum Institute and Lanzhou Petroleum School. They also rushed to participate in the construction of the country’s first long-distance oil pipeline.