Press Release
On the morning of September 20, 2022, after three days and nights of continuous work, the "Eight in One” Pullback at Yellow River HDD Crossing work of the Shenmu-Anping Coalbed Methane Pipeline Project was successfully completed. 
The Shenmu-Anping Pipeline is a key project listed in China’s “13th Five-Year Plan for the development and utilization of coalbed methane (CBM) and mine gas”. It is also a rare example of an onshore unconventional natural gas pipeline that crosses provinces in China, operated by CNOOC. The pipeline starts in Shenmu City, Yulin, Shaanxi Province, passes through 3 provinces, 7 cities, and 17 counties, and ends in Anping County, Hengshui, Hebei Province. With a total length of 622.98 kilometers and a designed gas transmission capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year, it is currently one of the longest coalbed methane transmission pipelines in China. The Yellow River crossing section, part of the Shaanxi-Shanxi section, is the final and most challenging section of the entire Shenmu-Anping pipeline project due to the complex terrain conditions. The Yellow River is an only passageway for the eastward extension of the Shenmu-Anping pipeline, making this crossing as a key controlling work in the pipeline construction and this crossing turns to be one of the major operations included in CNOOC’s A-level projects.
During the construction, Chairman Wang Dongjin of CNOOC and President Xia Qinglong of CNOOC, along with other leaders, inspected the construction site frequently and affirmed the HDD crossing work.
The crossing exit point is located in Mazhen, Shenmu City, Shaanxi Province (on the West bank), while the entry point is located in Watang Town, Xing County, Luliang City, Shanxi Province (on the East bank). The crossing length is 934 meters, classified as a large-scale HDD crossing project. The soil condition is mainly consisting of loess-like silt, fine sand, gravel, sandstone, and mudstone. The design pressure of the gas transmission pipeline is 8.0 MPa, with the direct pipeline section using D813×20 L450M longitudinally submerged arc welding steel pipe.
Given the fragile ecological environment of the Yellow River and the complex geological conditions, this is one of the most challenging rivers for HDD crossing. Huayuan attached great importance to this project and formulated a special construction plan based on the specific conditions of the crossing:
1. Personnel: Huayuan Group selected an experienced construction team, with strong resource support provided by the company headquarters.
2. Equipment: High-performance equipment such as the HY-6000 rig (maximum pullback force of 600 tons), 8-5/8” drill rods, and MP-2500 mud pumps, and other tailored tools were deployed.
3. Construction Site: The entry and exit points were located beneath steep mountains, presenting harsh site conditions. Multiple site measurements and site visits were conducted, and equipment layout and positioning were adjusted flexibly. Customized modifications were made to equipment to satisfy the requests of this crossing. Pipeline segments were pre-fabricated on-site in the narrow space at the exit side and "Eight in One” Pullback was implemented. The site was also transformed into a model standardized construction site.
4. Construction Process: Targeted construction techniques such as gravel isolation, single pass of large-diameter pilot holes, forward-pushing reaming, hole surveying and washing & repairing, pullback of a test pipe, prefabrication of pipeline sections, installation of roller supports, three-vehicle lifting, and the "Eight in One” Pullback were adopted.
With continuous work day and night, detailed planning by the project team, and sufficient resource support from the headquarters, the pipeline was ready for pullback on September 17, 2022. During the "Eight-in-One" back-drag, great efforts were made to avoid the risk of pipe locking from prolonged static periods in the hole. The process was carefully coordinated, ensuring minimal time for each pipeline joint. The success rate of the seven joint connections was 100%, and the X-ray inspection results were all Grade I. On the morning of September 20, 2022, as the pipeline head slowly emerged from the soil at the exit point, the Yellow River directional drilling crossing of the Shenmu-Anping coalbed methane pipeline project was officially declared a success. 
The Yellow River crossing is a critical control point in the Shenmu-Anping pipeline construction and also as an extremely challenging project. Since undertook this task, Huayuan approached it with a highly responsible and dedicated attitude, sparing no effort to ensure the scientific, efficient, and precise implementation of the project. The successful completion of this HDD crossing has resolved a significant challenge in the pipeline's full connection.
Once the Shenmu-Anping pipeline is fully connected, it will transport natural gas from western Shanxi and eastern Shaanxi to thousands of households and industrial clusters in Xiong’an New Area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Through its interconnection with the E-An-Cang pipeline and the Shanxi-Beijing pipeline system, it will integrate into the national gas transmission network. Furthermore, by linking with LNG terminals in Tianjin and Cangzhou, as well as the “Wen 23” gas storage facility, it will ensure dual-source supply and peak shaving support, promoting the natural gas market in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas. This will ensure a stable gas supply and contribute to China’s "dual carbon" goals.
