On March 31, following an injection command, the Sudong 39-61 Gas Storage facility, a key national oil and gas infrastructure project from the 14th Five-Year Plan period and Inner Mongolia's first large-scale natural gas storage site, officially commenced its annual gas injection cycle. This underground "natural gas bank," located 3,200 meters below the surface, swiftly transitioned from gas extraction to energy storage mode after successfully completing its supply guarantee mission for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region during the past winter and spring. This shift lays a solid foundation for energy supply security in the upcoming winter and spring.
Functioning as a "regulator" for the natural gas pipeline network, the Sudong 39-61 facility faced challenges from extreme cold weather and a surge in downstream gas demand during the previous heating season. All staff members remained on the front lines, ensuring zero equipment failures and uninterrupted gas supply. The facility extracted a record 798 million cubic meters of gas, effectively alleviating winter gas pressure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and playing a strategic role in peak shaving and valley filling.
To achieve a seamless transition from extraction to injection, the storage facility's operational team implemented advanced planning and precise measures. They adopted a "one-equipment, one-plan" approach for full-process supervision, completed the switch between injection and extraction modes, and upgraded systems to eliminate suboptimal equipment conditions. These efforts ensure that all pipelines and equipment possess the robust capability to inject gas efficiently in summer and extract reliably in winter.
The current injection phase is expected to continue until the end of October, with a total injection volume projected to reach 800 million cubic meters. During operations, the facility integrates technological innovation with meticulous management. Leveraging the high-quality reservoir of the Sulige Gas Field and an intelligent monitoring system, it continuously regulates key parameters such as pressure and temperature. By implementing differentiated strategies for each well and optimizing injection profiles, the facility ensures both efficiency and safety in gas storage, adhering to the principle of storing as much gas as possible, as early as possible.
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