The Role of the Two "Dragons" in the East from the Outer Borders--West Pipeline Project of the Key Works of the "Tenth Five-year Plan"
Another major national project, running nearly 1,000 kilometers parallel to the West-East Gas Pipeline, is the Western Crude and Refined Oil Pipeline Project. This initiative involves two massive "oil dragons" stretching 1,858 kilometers in total, with an investment of approximately RMB14.6 billion just from Xinjiang to Gansu. The project is a key part of CNPC's strategy to support the development of western China. By the end of this year, the refined oil pipeline will be operational, while the crude oil pipeline is expected to be completed by August next year. Once both pipelines are in service, they will play a vital role in enhancing national energy security, supporting the global expansion of Chinese oil companies, reducing railway congestion in the west, and boosting the economy of Xinjiang.
The Western Pipeline Project starts in Urumqi, Xinjiang, and ends in Lanzhou, Gansu. On November 15, reporters visited the construction site of the first station of the Wangjiagou refined oil pipeline, located 35 kilometers northwest of Urumqi. The station is nearly complete, with the station chief, Han Wei, explaining its layout. The facility covers 140,000 square meters and includes eight storage tanks—five newly built and three existing. Among the new ones, four hold 30,000 cubic meters each, and one holds 20,000. The three older tanks also have a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters, totaling 200,000 cubic meters of storage.
The station is divided into several functional areas, including pump, valve, heating, tank, control, and substation zones. In the pump area, four large German-made oil pumps were already installed on reinforced concrete bases, waiting to be activated. From a high-rise storage tank, the reporter observed that the first station is surrounded by the Wangjiagou oil depot to the east, a Sino-Hong Kong joint venture depot to the west, a dedicated railway line to the south, and the main highway to the August Steel Plant to the north.
Han Wei explained that the location was chosen for safety reasons, as the site is elevated and isolated from surrounding areas, which are mostly wastelands. Xu Chunjiang, director of the Xinjiang Administration Department of CNPC, noted that the site was selected to leverage existing infrastructure, such as land, water, power, and rail access, significantly reducing costs.
The Western Pipeline is currently the longest in China, crossing complex terrains in Xinjiang and Gansu, including deserts, swamps, and high-altitude regions like Wutipling, which reaches 3,000 meters. Despite these challenges, the project has made remarkable progress. As of November 18, 98% of the refined oil pipeline had been completed, and 78% of the crude oil pipeline was done. This speed is rare in China’s pipeline history.
Innovative techniques, such as directional drilling and earth pressure balance jacking, have been used to cross sensitive areas without disturbing existing structures. For example, the TP2000 machine was used to pass through Dashagou, and directional drills were employed to cross the Lanlian 301 pump room. These methods helped protect the environment and avoid relocating industrial sites.
With the pipeline under pressure testing and stations being built rapidly, all teams are working hard to meet the deadline for the refined oil pipeline to go live. Upon completion, the project will transport 10 million tons of refined oil and 20 million tons of crude oil annually, significantly easing the burden on western railways and saving millions of transportation resources.
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