Successful trial production of Bohai Equipment’s dense-phase/supercritical carbon dioxide pipeline elbows
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“The physical and chemical test reports issued by the third-party testing laboratory show that all performance parameters of another CCUS elbow developed by our company meet the standard requirements, marking a complete success. ”On June 27, Bai Leijie, the deputy technical director of the pipe fittings factory at Bohai Equipment Julong Steel Pipe Company, explained to reporters. This is another CCUS product developed as a result of the project construction, following the company’s successful completion of the supply task for the first batch of straight-seam submerged arc welded steel pipes for the Jilin Petrochemicals–Jilin Oilfield carbon dioxide pipeline project (Phase I). Compared to gas pipelines, dense-phase/supercritical carbon dioxide pipelines require high crack-resistant toughness, a lower temperature for crack initiation control, and present greater challenges in terms of residual stress management; moreover, they demand that the pipeline materials possess strong corrosion resistance. To meet the pipeline requirements for the construction of the carbon dioxide pipeline project between Jilin Petrochemical and Jilin Oilfield, the company’s technical team took the initiative to work closely with the project owners and design institutes, carrying out technical research and product testing on CCUS elbows in advance. Through months of systematic research on tube bending processes, heat treatment techniques, welding materials, and related processes, the company overcame technical challenges such as controlling residual stresses in bent tubes. It successfully produced CCUS tube products whose performance metrics exceed the requirements specified in the technical standards, becoming the first manufacturer in China to develop and produce such products and thus having the capability for large-scale mass production. In recent years, Bohai Equipment has made significant efforts in the research and development of CCUS-related products; the supercritical carbon dioxide transport pipes it has developed, featuring the largest wall thickness and diameter in China, enable the safe and efficient transportation of tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide ； The pioneering plunger-type dense-phase carbon dioxide pump has been successfully applied in the Jilin oil field ； The developed CCUS injection and oil production wellhead devices provide a green and safe solution for enhancing oil production in oil fields as well as for injection and sequestration.
On November 12, 2024, the straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes for transporting supercritical carbon dioxide, developed independently by Bohai Equipment Company, passed strict testing successfully. This product has a diameter of 610 millimeters and a wall thickness of 38 millimeters; not only are its dimensions precise, but its mechanical properties also fully meet the technical standards. The success of this trial production not only fills a gap in this field in China, but also marks a significant breakthrough for the country in the area of straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes for supercritical carbon dioxide transportation. Verified through rigorous CTOD tests, this straight-seam submerged arc welded pipe for supercritical carbon dioxide transport successfully meets the stringent requirements of transporting tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide. This significant breakthrough not only fills the industrial gap in China’s \"dual carbon\" sector but also greatly enhances Bohai Equipment Company’s product competitiveness in the clean energy market.
CCUS/CCS technology is internationally recognized as the most effective solution for addressing climate change, significantly reducing carbon emissions, and ultimately achieving carbon neutrality. With the continuous advancement of the \"dual carbon\" goals, CCUS technology has seen rapid development in China as a key technique for achieving large-scale carbon emission reductions. As a key link in the CCUS industry chain that connects upstream and downstream sectors, the specialized long-distance carbon dioxide transportation pipelines and the infrastructure required to support them will represent an important direction for development in the pipeline industry in the future. The construction of carbon dioxide pipeline projects is facing a golden opportunity for development. However, the development of carbon dioxide pipeline projects in our country started relatively late. To promote the construction and development of carbon dioxide pipeline projects in our country, it is urgent to conduct systematic research on the key challenges and core technologies associated with carbon dioxide pipeline transportation. As an important link in China’s petroleum industry chain and value chain, Bohai Equipment has taken on its responsibilities in promoting ecological civilization and accelerated the research and development of new energy equipment. Seizing this development opportunity, Bohai Equipment has taken on the important task of developing straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes for the transport of supercritical carbon dioxide with large diameters and thick wall thicknesses. In November 2023, Bohai Equipment, in collaboration with CNOOC Research Institute, CNOOC Energy Development Co., Ltd.’s Clean Energy Division, Shougang Research Institute, North China Pipeline Design Institute and other organizations, launched a research project on straight-seam submerged arc welded pipes for the transport of supercritical carbon dioxide under the sea. It carried out preliminary research on the materials suitable for such pipes, the key manufacturing techniques, the properties of these pipes, as well as the mechanisms by which they resist carbon dioxide corrosion, thereby striving to gain a competitive advantage in the field of clean energy.
Supercritical carbon dioxide transport imposes very strict requirements on the low-temperature toughness and resistance to carbon dioxide corrosion of the piping materials. During the operation of carbon dioxide pipelines, corrosion-induced perforations or external damage can lead to safety issues such as pipeline leaks. This poses many challenges to pipeline design, pipeline material selection, and integrity management. Addressing the key challenges and core technologies related to carbon dioxide pipelines, Bohai Equipment has conducted in-depth research on issues such as corrosion, leakage and spread, as well as crack propagation in carbon dioxide transport pipelines, along with the appropriate pipeline materials and equipment. By optimizing the material alloy composition and microstructure through research and development efforts, the team collaborated with domestic steel mills to develop hot-rolled steel plates suitable for transporting supercritical carbon dioxide. During the trial production of steel pipes, technical challenges such as the forming of small-diameter but thick-walled pipes with a diameter of 610 millimeters and a wall thickness of 38 millimeters, diameter expansion, selection of appropriate welding materials, and welding processes were carefully analyzed. By continuously optimizing the forming, sizing, and welding processes, precisely controlling the groove angle, conducting repeated welding process tests, and optimizing welding parameters, the challenges related to the forming process of small-diameter, thick-walled steel pipes as well as weld quality control were overcome, ensuring that all performance indicators of the trial-produced steel pipes met the requirements for transporting supercritical carbon dioxide. Through research on forming and expanding dies and processes, as well as welding materials and process systems, technical challenges such as the control of geometric dimensions, weld quality, and ultra-high pressure hydrostatic testing for steel pipes with small diameters and large wall thicknesses were overcome. These pipes exhibit high precision in their geometric dimensions, excellent crack initiation toughness at low temperatures, and toughness to prevent crack propagation under ductile conditions.
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