In The Largest Desert in Central Asia, See The Miracle Born in The Restricted Area Of Drilling
Feb 24, 2024
The sun rises from the horizon
With gushing light
Illuminating the Karakum Desert, the largest desert in Central Asia
This is Turkmenistan, the "country on the air bag". Although natural gas reserves rank fourth in the world, complex geological conditions such as high temperature and high pressure made it a "forbidden zone" for drilling, causing many competing international engineering and technical service companies to "turn back".
The Fuxing gas field is the largest gas field in Turkmenistan, and three consecutive drilling wells are located here. As a key project related to the rapid exploration, development and production increase of Fuxing Gas Field, between 2011 and 2012, these three wells experienced complex situations such as vicious well leakage during the drilling process. They were forced to seal the wells after more than 10 ineffective sealing attempts.
This "dusty" situation lasted for 10 years until Sichuan Qing Drilling lifted its mysterious "veil" and the "air dragon" burst out. Three consecutive drilling wells successively broke the highest test production record for a single well in Turkmenistan, becoming a new round of drilling. An important milestone in China-Turkmen energy cooperation.
How were the drilling "forbidden zones" conquered? What does its success mean for China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation and the "Belt and Road" construction? What references and thoughts are provided?
Miracle
Through the success of three consecutive drilling wells, looking back at the history of China-Turkmen energy cooperation, China National Petroleum Corporation captured the "fire dragon" and created the "myth of speed"... it used its strength to win tough battles and turn the impossible into possible. Hijikata hailed as a "heroic builder"
In the endless Karakum Desert, within a radius of 6 kilometers, three consecutive drilling wells are distributed in a triangle. The intricate yellow pipelines in the well site have become a beautiful landscape in the desert.
Just a few years ago, this place was silent.
After the original contractor stopped drilling and sealing the wells, these three wells became "hot potatoes." Turkmenistan's Gas Concern held two rounds of tenders, but no one showed interest.
Because of this, when PetroChina Chuanqing Drilling took over this "hard nut to crack," all parties focused their attention on this. The Russian Sputnik News Agency published a column. The then President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov specifically pointed out that the three continued drilling projects were of great significance to Turkey-China energy cooperation. Qian Naicheng, Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan, also said that the signing of the project marked a new step in China-Turkmenistan natural gas cooperation.
The three continued drilling projects under the "spotlight" are key cooperation projects to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. PetroChina will complete the drilling of three additional wells in more than a year. After learning the news, a vice president of Turkmenistan Gas Concern said that this was a very challenging task.
"We just want to make the impossible possible!" said Xu Xianjue, deputy general manager and safety director of Chuanqing Drilling Turkmenistan Branch. The epidemic prevention and control has affected the relocation of personnel and the shipment of materials. PetroChina has done everything possible to send more than 50 employees to Turkmenistan; China and Turkmenistan worked together to coordinate a 50-car China-Turkmen material train to send more than 2,000 tons of urgently needed materials for the project to Turkmenistan; construction The team inspected and repaired one by one the drilling equipment and nearly a hundred gate valves, hydraulic catheads, etc. that had been out of operation for 6 years. The source of funds could not be quickly implemented. PetroChina innovatively proposed the "finance + service" model to promote the official implementation of the project...
On February 13, 2022, after creatively solving a series of problems such as personnel, materials, equipment, and funds, the first continuation drilling was officially started, and the roar of the drilling rig resounded throughout the Fuxing Gas Field.
In less than 10 months, PetroChina completed all drilling work, 3 months ahead of schedule, and broke 11 drilling records in Turkmenistan. "This is simply a miracle!" Amanov B.A, then Minister of State of Turkmenistan and President of Gas Concern, commented.
Miracle, these two words are not a true portrayal of China-Turkmen energy cooperation.
In the past 30 years, China National Petroleum Corporation once captured the "Fire Dragon" blowout of the Osman 3 well in the hinterland of the Karakum Desert and created a "miracle of fire extinguishing"; it took 18 months to build the first phase of the Amu Darya project and 20 months to build the second natural gas processing plant. , creating a "miracle of speed"; it has maintained the record of "never one day of short supply and no one day of supply interruption", and has completed the task of ensuring natural gas supply beyond the plan for 14 consecutive years, creating a "miracle of ensuring supply"...
Each miracle is like a milestone, writing a grand chapter of China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation; each miracle witnesses a tough battle, demonstrating the technical strength and corporate image of China Petroleum. The then President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov praised PetroChina as a "heroic builder".
confidence
The success of the three consecutive drilling wells stems from the deep cultivation and accumulation of Chinese petroleum companies in Turkey, from the world-class oil and gas service level and technical strength, from the support of the integrated entire industry chain, and from the profound friendship between China and Turkey. and cooperation basis
As time goes by, we return the images of the years to 6 years ago. In July 2018, after Chuanqing Drilling received a letter of award from Turkmenistan Natural Gas Concern for three additional drilling projects, it took only one day to study and demonstrate and decided to face the difficulties. "We can do what others can't do because we have the confidence in our hearts." said Wen Fugui, deputy general manager and chief engineer of Chuanqing Drilling Turkmenistan Branch.
--This confidence comes from the deep cultivation and accumulation of China's oil companies in Turkey.
Expand the oil and gas map of Turkmenistan, from the Gumdag Oilfield in the west to the Kuturjebe Oilfield in the southwest, to the right bank of the Amu Darya River in the northeast, there are footprints of China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation.
In the Fuxing gas field where the three additional drilling wells are located, PetroChina has successively completed the "10+2" drilling general contracting project and the South Yolotan annual commercial gas production capacity construction project of 10 billion cubic meters. A total of 34 wells have been drilled, with a total footage of more than 150,000 meters.
"The closest distance between the one well we drilled and the three follow-on wells is only 3 kilometers," said Guan Honggang, executive deputy leader of the three follow-on drilling project team of Chuanqing Drilling Turkmenistan Branch.
After a long period of intensive cultivation and accumulation, PetroChina has mastered detailed geological structural data in the Fuxing Gas Field, can "see clearly" the formations and "feel" the laws, and has honed complex deep well drilling technology and rich project operations adapted to the local gas reservoirs. and construction experience to facilitate the smooth implementation of the three continued drilling projects.
--This confidence comes from world-class oil and gas service levels and technical strength.
The vehicle is driving through the endless Karakum Desert, and abandoned well sites can be seen from time to time.
Exploration of the Fuxing Gas Field began in the 1990s. A total of 26 wells were drilled before 2007, with a drilling success rate of only 11.54%. However, PetroChina has maintained a 100% drilling success rate there for 16 consecutive years, and has also filled the gap in Turkmenistan. There are no historical gaps in the local area such as deep exploratory wells, horizontal wells, and highly deviated directional wells. Chuanqing Drilling has also been hailed as a "complex oil and gas conqueror" by its owners in Turkmenistan.
"The three continuation drilling projects are more difficult and challenging," Guan Honggang said. "The original contractor did not leave any design and construction data or downhole specific information. We couldn't even get accurate casing data when we took over."
Against this background, PetroChina relied on independently developed new technologies and new processes to create 11 new drilling records including the fastest mechanical drilling rate in the Jurassic of the Fuxing Gas Field in three consecutive drilling projects. Turkmenistan Gas Concern sent a special letter of thanks, fully affirming China Petroleum's comprehensive advantages of sophisticated equipment, superb technology and rich experience.
--This confidence comes from the support of China's integrated petroleum industry chain.
From the winning of the bid to the implementation, the three continued drilling projects also encountered setbacks.
"International energy prices continue to fluctuate, funds cannot be implemented quickly, and the project has been delayed again and again." Cheng Guohui, director of the market development department of Chuanqing Drilling Turkmenistan Branch, recalled.
After carefully analyzing the situation, Sichuan Qing Drilling and International Utilities Company creatively proposed the "finance + service" model, which enabled the formal construction of the three consecutive drilling projects. This is the epitome of China's oil companies in Turkey playing a "game of chess" role. In fact, many Chinese petroleum companies participated in three consecutive drilling projects, covering geology, drilling fluids, cementing, acidification, testing, equipment and other majors. From natural gas production, pipeline transportation, trade, finance to engineering services, the "five-in-one" comprehensive industrial chain development pattern formed by PetroChina in Turkmenistan has become the "ballast stone" for energy cooperation between China and Turkmenistan.
--This confidence stems from the profound friendship and cooperation between China and Turkey.
In the joint project team for three additional drilling wells formed by China and Turkey, eight experts are from Turkmenistan. "I have been dealing with China Petroleum Corporation for 12 years. We understand each other and the cooperation is smooth." Chariev Akmurat, former chief geologist of Turkmenistan Geological Concern, believes that this is the key to efficient operation of the project.
During the material customs clearance stage, Turkmenistan Customs, Bureau of Standards, laboratories and other departments worked on-site at the station, compressing the original 30-day customs clearance time to 7 days; during the project implementation stage, China and Turkmenistan formed a geological engineering integration project team to work together to solve the problem The difficulties and risks in the drilling process... This tacit cooperation stems from the 30-year foundation of energy cooperation between China and Turkey, as well as the profound friendship and cultural blending.
With the success of the three additional drilling projects, the confidence in energy cooperation between the two countries has been further enhanced and the strategic energy partnership has been further consolidated, which will help promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the oil and gas fields between the two countries to a new level.
Outlook
The success of the three additional drilling wells is another example of China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation. It not only opens up a new situation for China-Turkmenistan cooperation in the field of natural gas, but also opens up new space for all-round cooperation and ushered in new opportunities for green energy cooperation.
The energy is like a rainbow, spanning thousands of miles across the Gobi wilderness; the energy is like a thread, connecting the lights of thousands of homes and warming people's hearts.
At the moment when China and Turkey have entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership, starting from the drilling of three additional wells, which is another milestone in China-Turkmen energy cooperation, the cooperation between the two countries in the energy field has ushered in new historical opportunities and is striding towards high quality. a new stage of development.
--The success of the three consecutive drilling wells has opened up not only the formation and gas reservoirs, but also a new situation in China-Turkish cooperation in the field of natural gas.
"We look forward to further deepening the long-term partnership of mutual trust established with PetroChina and carrying out all-round mutually beneficial cooperation in the Fuxing gas field project and other oil and gas technical services and trade fields." Turkmenistan Gas Concern said in the thank-you letter sent by .
As the only oil and gas engineering and technical service project signed between enterprises of China and Turkey since 2010, the three consecutive drilling wells not only opened up the strata of the Fuxing Gas Field, making the efficient use of abundant natural gas resources a reality, but also contributed to the expansion of the natural gas industry for both countries. Industrial chain cooperation has created new favorable conditions.
Since then, three additional drilling projects have injected a stable and high-yield gas source into the Fuxing Gas Field. Together with the right bank block of the Amu Darya River, the natural gas trade volume between China and Turkey has exceeded 300 billion cubic meters, and the cooperation in the natural gas field between China and Turkey has been promoted in depth.
--The success of the three consecutive drilling wells has not only promoted China's petroleum brand, but also opened up new space for all-round cooperation between China and Turkey.
In November 2022, only one month after the successful drilling of three continuation wells, the construction of three individual technical service projects in the Fuxing Gas Field undertaken by Chuanqing Drilling Turkmenistan Branch began.
The prelude to transformation has begun. The cooperation of three additional drilling wells has allowed Turkmenistan to further see the capabilities and potential of China Petroleum, and increased the confidence and determination of energy cooperation between the two countries, thus providing support for Chuanqing Drilling's transformation from a traditional engineering technology service provider to an international comprehensive solution provider. platform and opportunities.
--The success of three consecutive drilling wells marked a new height for China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation and ushered in new opportunities for green energy cooperation.
The Karakum Desert is not only rich in oil and gas resources, but also a rich source of new energy. The success of the three additional drilling wells not only consolidated the cooperation between China and Turkey in the field of natural gas, but also gradually opened up new ideas for both parties to explore green energy cooperation. PetroChina's technologies, experiences and models for the integrated development of new energy and oil and gas may "bear fruit" in Turkmenistan in the future: promoting clean energy substitution in oil and gas exploration and development, expanding the external supply of green energy represented by wind power and photovoltaics, and helping China and Turkey jointly achieve energy transformation and green development.
Turkmen thinker, philosopher, and poet Makhtoum Kuri once said: "Brotherly friendship is supreme." The success of the three consecutive drilling projects is an example of the "brotherly friendship" between China and Turkmenistan, and will also become a symbol of China-Turkmen energy cooperation. A new milestone has pushed the mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation between the two countries into a new chapter.
