Natural Gas Drag Reduction and Throughput Increase Research Program: “Horse Racing” Activity of PipeChina

Founded on December 9, 2019, China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “PipeChina”) is mainly engaged in the investment, construction, and operation of oil and gas trunk networks, gas storage and peak shaving facilities, and other infrastructure. PipeChina, as China’s largest operator of natural gas pipeline infrastructure, operates more than 50,000 km of natural gas pipeline networks.

In natural gas pipeline transportation, due to large pipe diameter, high pressure and fast flow rate, almost all natural gas trunk pipelines of PipeChina operate in the region of quadratic resistance law of complete turbulence, necessitating urgent action for drag reduction, throughput increase, energy conservation and consumption reduction. However, drag reduction and throughput increase in natural gas pipeline transportation is a universal challenge. To date, no breakthroughs have been made in theory or technology both at home and abroad, and no scientific and recognized technical concepts and routes have been formed to address this challenge.

Considering the significance of drag reduction and throughput increase to the high-quality development of PipeChina’s pipeline transportation business, PipeChina plans to launch a technological competition and is ready to incorporate ideas from domestic and foreign organizations in all industries and professional fields to promote key technological breakthroughs for drag reduction and throughput increase in natural gas pipeline transportation. To this end, PipeChina sincerely invites domestic and foreign scientific research institutions, universities, public institutions, and enterprises that are interested in addressing such an engineering technical challenge in the energy field to participate in the “Horse Racing” activity for research on natural gas drag reduction and throughput increase technology.

I. Technical Objective

To research and propose an innovative technical method for drag reduction and throughput increase in natural gas pipelines, demonstrating engineering feasibility and achieving a drag reduction rate of over 10% through simulation loop testing.

II. Scheduling

The “Horse Racing” activity of PipeChina will be implemented in four stages: announcement and application, technical scheme design, technical route research, and acceptance of results. The “horse racing” for technical scheme design will be terminated by the end of 2024; the “horse racing” for technical route research will be terminated by the end of 2027.

III. Policy Conditions

PipeChina promises to create loose environment and offers generous policy conditions for “Horse Racing”. The competition is fully open to participating organizations from all industries and fields and all technical ideas proposed by them. The participating organizations will enjoy autonomy in deciding technical schemes, formulating work plans, and requesting funds, and PipeChina will provide all funds required for research. See Annex 1 for the specific plan of “Horse Racing”.

PipeChina solemnly promises to carry out the “Horse Racing” activity in strict accordance with the principles of fairness, justice, credit, mutual respect, and friendly consultation，and sincerely welcomes the active participation of domestic and foreign scientific research institutions, universities, enterprises, and public institutions. PipeChina is looking forward to sincerely cooperating with all participating organizations to jointly complete this pioneering and challenging “Horse Racing” activity for scientific research and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results!

The organizations that decide to participate in the competition shall submit the scanned application form (see Annex 2 for the template) through e-mail before October 11, 2024.

Contact:

1. JPSE Office of PipeChina Research Institute of Science and Technology: Zhao Jiaxiong, Tel.: 0086-15903555750; E-mail: jpse_office@163.com (JPSE contact)

2. PipeChina Research Institute of Science and Technology: Bi Wuxi, Tel.: 0086-15103162382; E-mail: biwx@pipechina.com.cn(PRCI contact)