【Major Equipment in the Chemical Engineering Sector】083 – The China-Russia East Gas Pipeline (within Chinese territory) uses entirely domestically produced steel pipes
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The past decade has been a period of rapid development in China’s chemical industry, marked by the emergence of many new processes, products, and equipment. There has also been significant progress in China’s chemical processing equipment, which has contributed to the swift advancement of the petrochemical sector. Here, we have compiled some of the achievements and breakthroughs made by Chinese equipment manufacturers in terms of larger-scale production and localization of such equipment. We invite everyone to share their insights and discuss these topics together, to cheer for Made in China and to support the development of chemical processing equipment! *********************************** All the steel pipes used in the China-Russia East Route gas pipeline (within Chinese territory) are domestically produced. The development of large-diameter, high-capacity gas transmission pipes in China has entered a new phase. At 17:00 on December 2, 2019, the China-Russia East Route gas pipeline was officially put into operation. This marks a new stage in the development of large-diameter, high-flow-rate, high-strength pipeline steel tubes in China, bringing them in line with international advanced standards. The length of this pipeline is 9,079 kilometers. Of this, 3,968 kilometers are within Russia, and 5,111 kilometers are in China (from Heihe to Shanghai); of this distance, 3,371 kilometers correspond to newly built pipelines while 1,740 kilometers utilize existing pipelines. The pipeline passes through 9 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government), with a designed gas transport capacity of 38 billion cubic meters per year. Among them, the Heihe-Changling section of the main line is 715 kilometers long, with a pipe diameter of 1422 millimeters. The highest steel grade used is X80, the maximum wall thickness is 30.8 millimeters, and the design pressure is 12 megapascals. This is the section of the China-Russia East Route project that requires the highest technical standards, presents the greatest construction challenges, and involves the most difficult working conditions. It is worth noting that all the materials used in the construction of the China-Russia East Route natural gas pipeline are domestically produced. According to incomplete statistics, since 2015, domestic steel companies such as Ansteel, Taiyuan Iron and Steel, Shougang, Hebei Iron and Steel, Shagang, and Hualing Xianggang, as well as pipe manufacturing firms like Baoji Pipe, Liaoyang Pipe, Nanjing Julong, and Qingxian Julong Pipe Company, have all contributed to the construction of this pipeline, ensuring both the quality of the work and the progress of the project.
Currently, there are two development trends for long-distance natural gas pipelines abroad: one is the use of pipelines with large diameters and high transport capacities. An example is the Bapenkovo-Uchha gas pipeline in Russia, which is 1,106 kilometers long. It uses straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes; the transmission pressure is 11.8 megapascals, the diameter is 1,420 millimeters, and the wall thicknesses are 23 millimeters, 27.7 millimeters, and 33.4 millimeters respectively. The annual gas transport capacity of a single such pipeline is 58 billion cubic meters； Another approach is the use of high-pressure pipelines for transporting large volumes of gas; for example, Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline is an undersea gas pipeline with a total length of 1,222 kilometers. It is constructed using straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes, with transmission pressures of 22 MPa, 20 MPa, and 17 MPa respectively. The diameter of these pipes is 1,220 millimeters, and their wall thicknesses are 34.6 millimeters, 30.9 millimeters, and 26.8 millimeters respectively. The annual gas transport capacity of each pipe is 27.5 billion cubic meters. Abroad, spiral submerged arc welded pipes are generally not used for large-diameter, high-flow-rate long-distance natural gas pipelines. The reason is, first, the limitation on wall thickness (≤22 millimeters), and second, the difficulty in manufacturing pipes made from high-grade steel (X80), especially since it is hard to meet the requirements regarding the DWTT shear area. The development of large-diameter, high-capacity natural gas pipelines in China should focus on achieving international advanced levels in terms of gas transport capacity (45–50 billion cubic meters per year). Steel and pipeline manufacturing companies need to develop straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes with a wall thickness of at least 30 millimeters, using steel grades as high as X80, and with a diameter of 1422 millimeters, in order to compete in the international pipeline market.
The China-Russia East Route natural gas pipeline has overcome the problems related to controlling the brittleness and fracture resistance of thick-walled steel pipes, induction-heated elbows, and pipe fittings in low-temperature environments of minus 45 degrees Celsius, thus resolving a challenge that has long plagued China’s pipeline industry. It is worth noting that currently, some steel manufacturers produce steel plates whose thickness reaches 30.8 millimeters at temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees Celsius, with a DWTT (drop hammer tear test) shear area of nearly 60%; however, in other cases this value is less than 40%. It appears that China’s steel enterprises still have room for improvement in terms of the technical performance related to low-temperature impact toughness. In the comparative analysis of process qualification standards, China and Russia have certain differences in their standards regarding usage characteristics, selection of welding materials, groove design, qualification criteria, specimen inspection, and acceptance requirements. The China-Russia East Route gas pipeline is China’s first gas pipeline with the largest diameter and highest gas transmission capacity; China places more emphasis on experimentation and the accumulation of experimental data ； The Russian standards cover a broader range of aspects and have a wider scope of application; they provide more detailed regulations on welding materials, welding methods, groove types, and process qualification tests, with an emphasis on operational details. They are more tailored to the pipeline construction in the China-Russia East Route section. This holds significant reference value and practical significance for the development of natural gas pipelines in China.
This year, the China-Russia East Route is set to play a significant role; it is likely that the China-Mongolia-Russia pipeline project will see an acceleration in its progress.
It depends on the north; domestically, there are no issues whatsoever with materials, equipment, or construction methods