The main structure of the Longdong Marriott five-star hotel project has been topped out. In the depths of winter, at the construction site of the CNOOC 20-2 natural gas separation plant relocation and reconstruction project in Huludao High-tech Zone, tower cranes stand in dense clusters, as builders work vigorously amidst steel and concrete to sketch a new blueprint for energy industry upgrades; in the distant Longwan Central Business District, the main structure of the Longdong Marriott five-star hotel project, with a total investment of 700 million yuan, is nearly complete, its outline becoming increasingly distinct under the sunlight. These two "longstanding problem" projects, stalled for over a decade due to historical issues, are now being reborn through Huludao's firm resolve and pragmatic actions to tackle these "hard nuts."
The original CNOOC 20-2 natural gas separation plant, once on the city's outskirts, gradually became surrounded by residential areas and tourist scenic spots as the city expanded. Problems such as aging equipment and insufficient safe distances became increasingly prominent, hindering both the enterprise's own transformation and upgrades and the development and construction of surrounding areas. Since 2010, Huludao City has been negotiating the relocation with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). Meanwhile, the Longdong Marriott five-star hotel project, with a total investment of 700 million yuan, officially launched in 2017 but lay dormant on planning blueprints for nearly a decade due to failing to meet safe distance requirements from the 20-2 plant, becoming a "pain point" for the development of high-end services in the region.
Confronted with the long-term stagnation of these two major projects, Huludao City placed resolving these historical遗留问题 high on its agenda. Municipal leaders made dozens of trips to CNOOC headquarters to coordinate, listening to the company's needs face-to-face and solving practical difficulties with tangible actions. From adjusting land-use planning to ensuring resource allocation, from offering policy support to streamlining approval processes, they meticulously identified and addressed every bottleneck and challenge in project advancement, tailoring solutions specifically for each.
This sincerity and sense of responsibility deeply impressed the corporate side. "The determination and pragmatic approach of the Huludao Municipal Party Committee and Government in solving problems showed us the potential for cooperation," said Liu Weiguo, Director of the CNOOC 20-2 natural gas separation plant, adding that the local government's proactive, service-oriented attitude strengthened the company's confidence in proceeding with the relocation. In October 2023, CNOOC (China) Limited signed a cooperation agreement with the Huludao Municipal Government for the relocation project, marking a substantive breakthrough for the 12-billion-yuan 20-2 plant relocation and clearing a key obstacle for the subsequent restart of the hotel project.
Once the project was initiated, a full-scale "acceleration" service campaign unfolded across Huludao. "We implemented 'one-stop service,' reducing steps and compressing timelines to achieve one-time notification, one application, one set of materials, single-window acceptance, and online processing," officials explained. The innovative "dual task force" joint office mechanism further ensured seamless communication between government and enterprises. "Communication used to require reporting through multiple layers; now problems are solved immediately," said Zhao Jing, head of the task force, noting that this efficient, collaborative working model became a crucial guarantee for the project's rapid progress.
During the relocation process, challenges emerged one after another. The relocation of high-pressure pipelines within the site and underground high-speed rail cables involved multiple stakeholders; the relevant authorities in Longgang District proactively communicated patiently with residents regarding temporary land use and raised funds to ensure land leveling. When the original high-pressure corridor was found to have insufficient safe distance from newly planned buried pipelines, the task force organized repeated surveys and demonstrations involving multiple parties, innovatively adopting a "tower-to-pole conversion" solution, successfully completing the relocation by June 2025.
To ensure both "construction and supply" proceeded uninterrupted, Huludao City decided to simultaneously construct the natural gas separation plant's pipeline corridor and the transmission pipelines for downstream users. Faced with issues like the landing pipeline project traversing urban areas and a lack of precedent for approvals, the Huludao Natural Resources Bureau organized joint site inspections with multiple departments, determining the route segment by segment. Simultaneously, they drew on experiences from advanced regions, formulating relevant management measures tailored to local conditions, thus filling regulatory gaps and using institutional innovation to solve the problem of "no basis for approval."
The breakthrough in the relocation project created a critical prerequisite for restarting the Longdong Marriott five-star hotel project. Huludao City swiftly established a leading group for coordinating and advancing the hotel project, resolving various issues "overnight." From feasibility studies and project approval to planning and construction permit processing, government departments provided "nanny-style" agency services throughout. "Now, it's the departments revolving around the project, with procedures 'chasing' the project's progress," said Shi Yuguang, the hotel project manager.
On August 8, 2025, the CNOOC 20-2 natural gas separation plant relocation project officially commenced construction, while the Longdong Marriott hotel is expected to officially open in October 2027. The relocation project fundamentally eliminates potential safety risks the original site posed to surrounding residential areas and frees up over 800 acres of valuable land resources.
Lu Guofeng, Deputy Director of the Huludao Longwan Business District Management Committee, stated that these two major projects have not only revitalized high-quality assets stalled for years and retained key industries, achieving a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level safety, but also demonstrated Huludao's commitment to tackling "hard nuts" and skillfully resolving "head-scratching problems."
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