The welding of the 2ndlot of directional drilling for the Zhongwei-Zaoyang section of the 3rdWest to East gas pipeline (Zhongwei-Ji'an) began on February 3, 2023. The EPC contractorisSichuan Oil Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

The project starts at the Zhongwei Liaison Compressor Station in Ningxia, passes through five provinces (autonomous prefectures) of Ningxia, Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hebei, and ends at the Zaoyang Liaison Compressor Station in Hebei, with a total length of 1264.1km. The design pressure is 10MPa, the design gas output capacity is 250X108m/a, and the steel pipe diameter is 1219mm. L55M steel pipe (commonly referred to as 80X) is used. There are a total of 7 large directional drilling sites in the middle section of the 3rdWest to East gas pipeline, including Jiaolong Mountain directional drilling crossing, Dinghe 2 directional drilling crossing, Tuanhe directional drilling crossing, Zhaohe directional drilling crossing, Baihe directional drilling crossing, Tanghe directional drilling crossing, and Jihe directional drilling crossing. The 2ndlot of crossing project contracted by Sichuan Oil Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. includes Baihe directional drilling, Tuanhe directional drilling, Zhaohe directional drilling crossing, and Baihe directional drilling.

This lot is contracted by Sichuan Oil Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and one pipeline automatic welding machine complex is established including one unit of Xionggu A-808/48 pipeline automatic welding machine (internal welding machine) and 10 units of dual torch pipeline external welding machines. There are four directional drilling crossings in this lot, one 1219mm/22mm, and three 1219mm/27.5mm. Currently, the second directional drilling crossing of Tuanhe River is being welded for 27.5mm, with a total of over 50 welded joints. The one time qualified rate after AUT test reaches 98.9%, and The one time qualified rate after DR test reaches 100%.

                 Fig. : Welders are using the Xionggu pipeline automatic welding machine