On January 28th, at the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, a biting wind howled past the West-East Gas Pipeline's First Station, operated by the Tarim Oilfield of PetroChina. Just after the morning meeting, Wang Yueyun, a digital intelligence engineer at the Lunnan Oil and Gas Storage and Transportation Center of the Tarim Oilfield's Oil and Gas Marketing Department, shouldered her inspection kit and, alongside her team leader, Aimaitijiang·Yideresi, stepped into the production area to begin the day's inspection rounds. Pushing the door open, the wind instantly rushed in, causing an involuntary shiver. Aimaitijiang and Wang Yueyun, seemingly accustomed to such conditions, moved with steady, confident steps through the intricate network of natural gas pipelines, clad in thick cotton hats and jackets.
Stopping beside a section of the main pipeline, Aimaitijiang paused. A continuous, low rumble emanated from deep within the pipe—the steady pulse of flowing natural gas. Reaching out to gently touch the outer wall of the pipe, a profound warmth was palpable even through gloves. "It's over 30 degrees!" Wang Yueyun said with a smile, "If we get too cold during inspections, we just press our hands against the pipe to warm up a bit before moving on." This simple "secret" felt especially precious on the cold desert morning.
The West-East Gas Pipeline's First Station serves as the starting point for the pipeline's first line. This facility handles the measurement and gathering of over 80% of the natural gas produced by the Tarim Oilfield. By the end of 2025, the gas dispatched from here is projected to account for about one-third of the total volume transported by the entire West-East Gas Pipeline project, bringing warmth to more than 120 large and medium-sized cities along its route. The deep winter period marks the peak season for gas consumption.
"Did you know? In the time it takes to say a sentence, the volume of gas flowing through these pipelines is enough to supply 5,000 downstream households for an entire day!" Wang Yueyun remarked to a visitor as she walked, her tone filled with pride. Despite the numbness from the cold on her hands and face, Wang Yueyun maintained a focused gaze, meticulously checking the operational status of each piece of equipment and the readings on various instruments. Having worked here for over two years, she brings her full attention to every inspection: "Our job is to safeguard this 'warm current,' ensuring it traverses mountains and rivers to warm millions of homes."
Aimaitijiang crouched in front of a pressure gauge, his eyes carefully scanning each marking. "During the winter supply guarantee period, we have to be even more vigilant!" he said quietly, "The station has hundreds of instruments and equipment, plus pipelines of varying diameters. Our daily inspections require visually and instrumentally scanning every section—there can be no oversights." "Nowadays, the station is becoming increasingly intelligent; a lot of data can be monitored remotely," Wang Yueyun added, pointing to a laser methane remote sensor mounted nearby. "The 'eyes' of the machines cover the station, quickly detecting potential gas leaks and triggering alarms. But manual inspections are still essential for identifying issues like freeze-ups or pipeline deformations, allowing us to eliminate hazards in their infancy."
As the station requires constant staffing, over a dozen colleagues, like them, are坚守 (holding fast) at this frontline post where desolation and warmth intertwine throughout the winter. After more than an hour, the outdoor inspection concluded. Returning to the main control room, their glasses instantly fogged up. Without lingering to warm up further, the two went straight to their computers to analyze metering data, update equipment information, and compile operational records... "Scenes like this are quite normal during the supply guarantee period," Wang Yueyun noted. Since its commissioning, the West-East Gas Pipeline's First Station has operated safely and stably for nearly 8,000 days. "Actually, it's not just us. At this very moment, at every drilling rig and every station, there are oil workers坚守 (holding fast) at their posts!"
"Only the desert is barren; life here is not." On the return journey, these words, embedded on a sandy ridge, brought to mind images of pumping units, Christmas trees, and red work uniforms...
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