【History of Haichuan Pipelines】China’s longest ethane transmission pipeline: the Kela Mei Li gas field ethane transmission pipeline project

This project runs from the Karamay gas field to CNPC Dushanzi Petrochemical Company, and was constructed by the Oil Construction Branch of CPECC CNPC (Xinjiang) Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd. The project manager explained that the ethane export facility is a supporting project for the \"Karamay Gas Field Pressure Boosting and Cryogenic Efficiency Improvement Project,\" and it plays an important role in ensuring **energy security and enhancing the economic benefits of the oil field company. The Karamaili gas field has abundant ethane resources in its gas production. The implementation of this project will enable closer ties between the two major petroleum and petrochemical hubs in northern Xinjiang – Karamay and Dushanbe – it will improve the economic efficiency of the ethylene production facilities at Dushanbe Petrochemical Company, and it will also provide experience for future large-scale ethane recovery. The Kalamaili gas field is the first gas field in the Junggar Basin with a reserve of 103.3 billion cubic meters, and it is regarded as the \"jewel of the Junggar Basin\".

I don’t know whether ethane is transported as a gas at normal temperature or as a liquid at low temperature

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According to China Petroleum Network (reporter Song Peng, correspondents Cheng Yan and Zhang Kewen), on December 24, 2019, in the desert area of the Junggar Basin, the country’s longest ethane transmission pipeline – the ethane export pipeline operated by Xinjiang Oilfield Company – which came online just a week earlier, had already transported 500,000 cubic meters of ethane. The commissioning of this pipeline will not only help maximize the production efficiency of upstream gas fields but also supply high-quality raw materials for downstream enterprises, thereby promoting the economic and social development of Xinjiang. The ethane transmission pipeline for the Xinjiang oil fields is a key construction project in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and China National Petroleum Corporation; work on it began on June 20 of this year. This pipeline is approximately 371 kilometers long; it starts from the Karamay gas field, passes through 6 prefectures and 14 districts and counties, and reaches the Dushanbe Petrochemical Company. It is the pipeline with the most cross-regional sections built in Xinjiang’s oil fields in recent years.

Is ethane suitable for long-distance liquid transportation?

The pressure boosting and cryogenic efficiency improvement project for the Kalamaili gas field is the first treatment project in China to use the RSV process for the cryogenic recovery of ethane-rich natural gas. It represents an important project for achieving excellence and energy savings by CNPC, as well as a key initiative for improving the quality and efficiency of operations in the Xinjiang oil fields. Once the project comes online in October this year, the Karamay gas field will, in addition to producing methane and stable condensate as before, also produce ethane, liquefied gas, and stable light hydrocarbons, with an annual production capacity of around 38.5 million cubic meters of ethane. The operation of the ethane export pipeline will actively promote the structural adjustment of Dushanbe Petrochemical Company; it will enable an increase in the production of aviation fuel by 198,000 tons per year, thereby meeting the growing demand for aviation fuel in the Xinjiang region. In addition, it will also boost the development of industries such as chemical fibers, textiles, and apparel within the region.

【Reply to Floor 4】 The pressure enhancement and cryogenic efficiency improvement project for the Kelamai gas field is the first treatment project in China to use the RSV process for the cryogenic recovery of ethane-rich natural gas. This cryogenic process is likely a purification and separation process, rather than a liquefaction process