【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】Domestic high-sulfur content compressors have operated stably for 4,000 hours from 1993 to 2023
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Ten years of rapid development in chemical processing equipment – praise for China’s prosperity and strength. This is just a starting point; more participation will make things even more lively. HaiChuan becomes even better with you all; we welcome everyone to join in the forum discussions. Happy May Day! A safe and secure Red May ********************************************* On May 14th, the first high-sulfur natural gas compression unit developed in China by the Puguang Branch of Zhongyuan Oilfield completed 4,000 hours of maintenance at Station 101 in the Puguang gas field; this marks 4,000 hours of continuous and stable operation for domestically produced high-sulfur compression units. The Puguang gas field is the first high-sulfur gas field to be successfully developed in China; as production continued, the formation pressure gradually decreased. To control the decline rate of gas reservoirs and improve recovery rates, the company urgently needs to carry out pressurized production of high-sulfur wet gas. The development and production of high-sulfur gas fields in China started relatively late, with a lack of technologies for production at reduced pressures and for transporting gas at increased pressures, as well as of the necessary equipment. Natural gas compression units represent relatively advanced equipment for \"transporting gas at increased pressures\" in this industry; they enable gas with insufficient pressure to flow smoothly from the reservoirs into the transportation pipelines, thereby maximizing the recovery rate of gas from the wells. To ensure the sustained and stable production of the Puguang gas field, in 2022 the Puguang Branch, together with Sinopec Petroleum Machinery Company, completed the development of domestically produced compression units as well as pilot projects for boosting acidic gases in the gas field. They overcame the key technical challenges associated with reciprocating compressors used in high-sulfur environments, developing a set of efficient, modular, and intelligent reciprocating compressors. A range of advanced technologies for boosting acidic wet gases was also developed, filling a gap in domestic technology. These innovations passed the evaluation by the expert group from Sinopec Group, and the overall technology level reached international advanced standards. They provide crucial technical support for China’s high-sulfur gas fields in terms of controlling production decline, improving recovery rates, and extending the period of stable production. During the enhanced production phase, Station 101 reached a maximum gas discharge volume of 380,000 cubic meters per day, with a maximum capacity for increasing gas output of 60,000 cubic meters per day. “Domestically produced high-sulfur compressor units had previously been non-existent, with no precedents of successful application. After this compressor unit was installed at Gathering Station 101, technicians conducted continuous experiments and optimizations, which significantly extended the unit’s operational cycle and made maintenance more economical and convenient. ”Liu Feng, deputy manager of the company’s engineering equipment management department, said. Experts say that the successful trial operation of the compressor unit after 4,000 hours of maintenance demonstrates its safe and stable operation; all performance parameters meet or exceed the design requirements, and the reliability of the key components has been further verified. This provides a technical foundation for the development and use of large-scale domestic compressors in the wet gas compression project at the Puguang gas field. At the same time, the widespread adoption of domestically produced high-sulfur compressor units will provide essential equipment support for the development, stable production, and increased output of acid gas fields in China.
Compressors with high sulfur content place extremely high demands on the corrosion resistance, sealing performance, and safety of the equipment; they represent high-end compressor products, and until now, imports were the only option available. To break foreign monopolies, meet domestic demand, and capture the high-end market, Sanji Branch officially began the development of domestically produced high-sulfur compressors on July 5, 2019, by leveraging the market opportunities provided by the Puguang high-sulfur gas field. Researchers, production staff, procurement personnel, and quality control experts fulfilled their responsibilities, faced challenges head-on, worked closely together, and collaborated to overcome difficulties in various specialized fields such as structural design, corrosion-resistant materials, welding techniques, and overall machine testing. They resolved a range of issues related to corrosion resistance, leak prevention, safety, and reliability. In China, they were the first to master the technology for developing and manufacturing compressors suitable for operation in natural gas environments containing more than 8% hydrogen sulfide, achieving a breakthrough in the production of domestically made compressors for high-sulfur natural gas. In January 2022, the first set of high-sulfur content compression units independently developed by the Sanji Branch was successfully subjected to a 72-hour load test at the Puguang Gas Field; all operational parameters and performance indicators were satisfactory, and the on-site industrial test was a complete success. In mid-April 2022, during a 500-hour industrial test for enhanced extraction in a certain gas field, the first high-sulfur natural gas compression unit developed independently by the Third Machinery Branch of Petrochemical Machinery operated safely and stably. All performance metrics met or exceeded the design requirements, with vibration levels being at an excellent level; thus, the unit was ready for normal operation. This marks the company’s breakthrough in overcoming key core technical challenges, making it the only enterprise in China to possess the technology for developing and applying high-sulfur content compressors, thereby breaking foreign monopolies and filling a gap in the domestic market.