On July 9, 2025, the first fully domestically produced 40-megapascal high-pressure large-displacement centrifugal gas injection compressor of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) was officially installed at the first deep in-service condensate gas reservoir storage facility in China - the Yaha Gas Storage Facility of the Tarim Oilfield of CNPC.
At present, the equipment is undergoing installation and commissioning and will be officially put into use in October. The commissioning of this core equipment marks the first time that China has achieved 100% domestic production of complete sets of equipment in the field of gas storage facilities, breaking the foreign technological monopoly and providing new technical support for ensuring national energy security.
The Yaha Gas Storage Facility of Tarim Oilfield is located in Kuche City, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang. It is the first deep in-service condensate gas storage facility in China and a key construction project of China National Petroleum Corporation. The construction of the gas storage facility follows the principle of overall deployment and phased implementation. The construction is generally carried out in two phases: The first phase has a working gas volume of 2.4 billion cubic meters and is responsible for seasonal peak shaving and emergency gas supply in the five southern Xinjiang prefectures. After the completion of the second phase, it will form a strategic working gas volume of 5 billion cubic meters, effectively ensuring peak shaving and strategic emergency gas supply for the West-East Gas Pipeline network.
During the process of building the reservoir, a gas injection pressure of 40 megapascals can be regarded as the "pinnacle of the industry". Previously, the core technology of this level was long controlled by foreign manufacturers, and there were "bottleneck" problems such as high prices and long supply cycles. Zhang Yong, a second-level equipment engineer in the Ground Engineering Department of the Dina Oil and Gas Production Management Area of Tarim Oilfield, said,This self-developed high-pressure centrifugal compressor unit can process 5.5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day, with a gas injection pressure of up to 40 megapascals and a motor power of 23 megawatts. It will significantly enhance the gas injection efficiency of the gas storage facility.
Tarim Oilfield Company, in collaboration with Shenyang Blower Group Co., LTD., has jointly tackled key technologies such as high-pressure cylinder block design, high-pressure rotor dynamics and sealing technology, and high-efficiency flow models. They have successfully developed and formed a complete set of key core components and complete machine technologies with full independent intellectual property rights. After rigorous testing, this domestically pioneering 40-megapascal pressure level gas storage centrifugal compressor unit has achieved international advanced levels in terms of mechanical operation and performance test indicators, filling the domestic gap.
To promote the localization of high-pressure centrifugal compressors, the R&D team has made breakthroughs and developed a number of key innovative technologies. The pioneering drive structure is the first in domestic gas storage unit units to adopt a compact drive scheme of "variable frequency motor + gearbox + coaxial high and low pressure cylinders", significantly reducing the floor space and lowering the investment cost. The innovative impeller manufacturing has adopted the narrow three-element impeller electrical discharge machining technology, successfully developing model-level impellers suitable for high-pressure, high-efficiency and low-flow working conditions. Meanwhile, the team also optimized the rotor structure of the high-pressure cylinder. By precisely calculating the rotor thrust under high-pressure conditions and quantifying its dynamic characteristics, they solved the sealing problem. By adopting the combined technology of "honeycomb structure + counter-swirling seal", they effectively addressed the sealing deformation and gas excitation issues under high differential pressure conditions.
