First Complete Set! 40 MPa! Core Equipment of Shengu Enables Smooth Commissioning of China’s Largest Ultra-Deep Gas Storage Reservoir

Official English Translation (Oil & Gas Equipment Industry Standard)

Recently, the 40 MPa high-pressure centrifugal compressor, hailed as the "heart" of the Yaha Gas Storage Reservoir and deployed at China’s largest ultra-deep gas storage facility, has been officially put into operation. Co-developed by Shengu Group and Tarim Oilfield, this core equipment has vigorously driven technological advancement of China’s high-end compression equipment, while laying a solid technical foundation and accumulating practical experience for the large-scale construction and operation of deep gas storage reservoirs in the future.

Following the successful commissioning of the unit, 5.5 million cubic meters of natural gas transported via the Kelun Main Line and Kelun Parallel Line will be compressed by this powerful domestically-made "heart" and injected underground through injection-production wells every day, lifting the daily gas injection capacity of the Yaha Gas Storage Reservoir to over 10 million cubic meters. The compressor delivers a gas injection pressure of 40 MPa (equivalent to 400 atmospheric pressures, or the pressure exerted by an adult elephant standing on a fingernail), with a motor power of 23.5 megawatts, comparable to the power system of a large vessel.

Constructed 5,000 meters underground, the Yaha Gas Storage Reservoir boasts China’s largest storage capacity and working gas volume among deep underground gas storage facilities. It is also a unique "dual-high" gas storage reservoir featuring the nation’s highest gas injection pressure and maximum gas production temperature. It undertakes critical missions including seasonal peak shaving, emergency gas supply and energy reserve for five prefectures in southern Xinjiang and the West-to-East Gas Transmission Pipeline Network.

Gas storage reservoirs operate on a "summer injection, winter extraction" cycle. Compressors serve as the most vital equipment during the injection phase, where high-speed rotating impellers boost gas pressure for underground storage.

Previously, core technologies for compressors of this pressure rating tailored to the operating characteristics of the Yaha Gas Storage Reservoir had long been monopolized by foreign manufacturers, bringing pain points such as exorbitant prices and lengthy delivery cycles. To address this challenge, Shengu Group partnered with Tarim Oilfield under the national "Open Bidding for Key Research Tasks" mechanism. The research project titled Localization of Large-Displacement High-Pressure Centrifugal Gas Injection Compressors and Research on Variable-Condition Operation in Gas Storage Reservoirs was listed as a key scientific and technological project, launching China’s first R&D breakthrough for 40 MPa-class centrifugal compressor units dedicated to gas storage. After more than two years of dedicated research, the team innovated impeller manufacturing processes, optimized rotor design and conquered sealing technical hurdles, successfully developing China’s first complete set of domestically-produced 40 MPa high-pressure centrifugal compressors.

The successful development effectively resolves the critical supporting equipment bottleneck for the Yaha Gas Storage Reservoir, and marks the first full localization of complete sets of equipment in China’s gas storage sector, breaking foreign technological monopolies. This fully domestic "heart" delivers key performance indicators matching advanced international standards while slashing project costs by over 30% compared with imported alternatives. Multiple landmark technical breakthroughs have been achieved:

Custom gas storage model stage: Low flow rate, high efficiency and wide operating range, with performance metrics benchmarked against international top-tier products
Enhanced operational stability: Proprietary sealing system and gas circuit design deliver smoother and safer operation
Optimized high-pressure rotor: Industry-original structural scheme with dynamic performance exceeding international standards
Intelligent anti-surge protection: Precise type selection via dynamic simulation ensures safe operation across a wide rotational speed range

This ultra-high pressure centrifugal gas injection compressor supplied by Shengu completely eliminates the drawbacks of imported units including long lead times, high capital investment and restricted operation & maintenance services. It also overcomes the limitations of reciprocating compressors such as constrained working gas volume and excessive maintenance costs. The equipment drastically cuts clients’ upfront capital expenditure and long-term operation & maintenance costs, guarantees long-cycle stable gas injection for the reservoir, and achieves a win-win outcome of superior economic benefits and reliable gas supply security.