The Zhongyuan underground gas storage cluster, the largest underground natural gas storage cluster in North China, opens for operation on Oct 18. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp.) announced the operation of its Zhongyuan underground gas storage cluster, the largest underground natural gas storage cluster in North China, on Oct 18.
With a total storage capacity of 10.03 billion cubic meters, the gas storage cluster will play a role in guaranteeing upcoming winter fuel demand.
According to Sinopec Corp., the Zhongyuan underground gas storage cluster includes the Wen-23, Wen-96 and Wei-11 underground gas storage facilities.
The latest to go into operation, the Wei-11, located at the border of Henan and Shandong provinces, is a key part of the construction of North China's 10 billion-cubic meter natural gas storage cluster.
It has a designed storage capacity of more than 1 billion cubic meters and peak load regulation capacity of 5 million cubic meters per day, making it able to meet gas demand for 10 million households.
Workers of Sinopec Corp. inspect machinery at the Zhongyuan underground gas storage cluster. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
More storage facilities in the cluster, including the Wen-13 West and Bai-9, are scheduled to go into operation by the end of this year, increasing gas storage capacity by nearly 1.12 billion cubic meters.
Sinopec Corp. said it will continue to improve its peak load regulation capacity by accelerating the construction of such key projects as the Zhongyuan underground gas storage cluster and the Huangchang gas storage facility in Central China's Hubei Province.
The underground gas storage facilities feature energy infrastructure integrating functions like peak load regulation, emergency supply and national strategic energy reserves.
So far, the facilities include four kinds, namely oil and gas fields, salt caverns, water-bearing stratum and mine pits.
(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)
