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Petrochina Daqing Petrochemical Company
2026-09-04
Daqing Petrochemical Company is a regional branch of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It is a large-scale integrated petrochemical enterprise that uses crude oil from Daqing Oilfield, Russian crude oil, light hydrocarbons, and natural gas as main raw materials. Its main businesses include oil refining, fertilizer production, ethylene production, plastics, liquid chemicals, rubber, and acrylic fiber production. It also provides engineering and technical services, machinery manufacturing and processing, and production technology services. Founded in 1962, the company has always adhered to its corporate mission of "dedicating energy and creating harmony" and upheld its corporate spirit of "patriotism, entrepreneurship, pragmatism, and dedication," achieving remarkable success in all its endeavors. The product qualification rate has consistently remained at 100%. Its petroleum, chemical, plastics, and acrylic fiber series products have won the title of "Customer Satisfaction Brand with No Complaints in Product Quality and Service" in the national market. The company has successively won honors such as National Civilized Unit, National May 1st Labor Medal, National Excellent Enterprise in Ideological and Political Work, National Contract-Abiding and Creditworthy Enterprise, National Advanced Enterprise in Quality Management, and Model Civilized Unit of Heilongjiang Province. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Daqing Petrochemical will be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the Party's basic theories, basic lines, and basic strategies, unswervingly implement the new development philosophy, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, follow the "Four Adherences" strategy for enterprise development and the "Four Modernizations" principle for enterprise management, actively integrate into the new development pattern of "dual circulation," take promoting high-quality development as its theme, firmly establish "one goal," implement "five major strategies," adhere to "four principles," highlight professional development, differentiated operation, and brand management, promote "reducing oil and increasing chemicals," transform oil refining into a "specialized chemical materials refinery," and develop chemicals into a "high-end, large-scale synthetic resin base." It will comprehensively strengthen Party building, give full play to its political and cultural advantages, promote the modernization of its governance system and governance capabilities, and, standing at the new historical starting point of "ten million tons of oil refining and one million tons of ethylene," fulfill its social responsibilities, shoulder the responsibilities of a central enterprise, and strive to build the most distinctive polyolefin industry base in Northeast China, propelling the construction of a first-class refining and chemical enterprise with industry competitiveness to a new level. Contact Person:Kristy ChenMobile:+8618018036652WhatsApp/WeChat:+8618018036652E-mail:sales6@ascent-chem.com
Daqing Petrochemical Accelerates "Refining, Chemicals, Biomass, and Fine Chemicals" Layout Driven by Innovation
2026-09-04
On August 17th, Daqing Petrochemical's 50,000-ton/year 1-hexene/1-octene co-production unit, which had been in operation for 20 days, maintained stable operating indicators. This is a vivid example of Daqing Petrochemical's implementation of the Group's mid-year work conference directives, driven by technological innovation, to accelerate the formation of its overall "Refining, Chemicals, Biomass, and Fine Chemicals" layout. Focusing on key technologies such as α-olefins, the company is conducting research on comprehensive resource utilization, extending into high-end new materials and fine chemicals; promoting the expansion and improvement of metallocene polyethylene, creating a high-end product system; deepening the "Artificial Intelligence+" special action, connecting with the Kunlun large-scale model, promoting the replacement of 13 systems with information technology innovation, and accelerating the transition to a "lights-out factory" model. To date, the company's R&D intensity has reached 2.21%, and new material output has increased by 40% year-on-year. Optimizing mechanisms to activate the driving force of technological innovation. The company has improved its "challenge-based" and "project manager" models, strengthened innovation platforms such as model worker and youth innovation studios, and fostered a strong atmosphere of "encouraging innovation and tolerating failure." It has also strengthened the construction of a talent pool for scientific and technological innovation, relying on major scientific research projects for practical training, deepening mentorship and performance evaluation models, and forging a tiered and continuous innovation talent team to ensure that "capable individuals take the lead and strong performers become the main players." Focusing on implementation, the company has delivered a strong start. Adhering to a "one-plant-one-policy" approach, the company has thoroughly analyzed operational shortcomings by benchmarking against historical best parameters and systematically addressed each deficiency. Practicing the "molecular refining" concept, the company has proactively secured winter reserves of low-pour-point diesel fuel and stabilized the quality of products such as aviation kerosene and petroleum coke. Focusing on the high-efficiency market, the company has increased production of profitable products such as synthetic ammonia and streamlined high-value-added production and sales channels. Relying on the newly launched work permit risk management platform, special operations have achieved full-process digital closed-loop management.
PetroChina Daqing Petrochemical Company Holds 2023 Public Open Day
2026-09-04
On September 14th, PetroChina Daqing Petrochemical Company held its 2023 Public Open Day. More than 40 journalists and experts from over 20 mainstream media outlets at the central, provincial, and municipal levels visited the petrochemical plant. Focusing on the themes of technological empowerment and green development, the event showcased the company's positive image in fulfilling its political, economic, and social responsibilities. Through a third-party perspective, the event aimed to guide public opinion, enhance the company's image, and create a favorable public opinion environment for promoting the company's high-quality development. The media and visiting group first visited the "Petrochemical Light" exhibition hall, a PetroChina corporate spirit education base, to gain a comprehensive understanding of Daqing Petrochemical Company's 61-year development history, remarkable achievements, and outstanding contributions to society. Currently, the company has achieved an industrial scale of "ten million tons of oil refining and one million tons of ethylene production." As of 2022, it had processed a cumulative total of 301 million tons of crude oil and produced 22.1359 million tons of ethylene, achieving operating revenue of 1.0419 trillion yuan and paying 132.7 billion yuan in taxes, effectively supporting the development and prosperity of the national economy. In the central control room of the chemical industrial park, rows of computers are neatly arranged beneath a huge electronic screen, displaying 35 units from five production plants operating smoothly under intelligent and digital control. Daqing Petrochemical Company is actively implementing the "Digital and Intelligent China National Petroleum Corporation" construction requirements, upgrading its central control room to form a modern production operation command center, striving to create a new era of intelligent factory area. The debottlenecking and downstream supporting project of the ethylene unit at Daqing Petrochemical's No. 1 Chemical Plant is under construction. "After the project is completed, the annual ethylene production capacity of the E3 unit will increase from 660,000 tons to 780,000 tons, and the ethylene energy consumption will reach the industry's energy efficiency benchmark level, effectively promoting the company's high-quality development," the guide explained, drawing praise from the visitors. Entering the chemical wastewater upgrading and renovation area of ​​Daqing Petrochemical's water and gas plant, the media and visiting group were amazed to see the wastewater transformed into clear water, repeatedly expressing their admiration. This plant, through upgrading its facilities, has revitalized its wastewater treatment while further achieving energy savings and emission reductions. In the first seven months of this year, the plant treated 4.34 million tons of industrial wastewater, a reduction of approximately 788 tons compared to the same period in 2015, establishing a solid ecological protection barrier for Daqing Petrochemical. On May 15th, the 400,000-ton/year high-concentration carbon dioxide recovery project was fully completed. This project is the first carbon dioxide capture project in China National Petroleum Corporation's refining, chemical, and new materials sectors. Members of the visiting delegation learned in detail about the company's work in implementing the new development philosophy at the project site and highly praised Daqing Petrochemical Company's efforts in safety, environmental protection, and clean production. Daqing Petrochemical Company is located adjacent to Longfeng Wetland, the largest inland wetland in Asia. The wetland boasts beautiful natural scenery and soaring birds, showcasing a beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Media personnel enjoyed the scenery and took photos here, which deepened their understanding of the environmental management of petrochemical enterprises and enhanced their understanding and recognition of Daqing Petrochemical Company's commitment to green development and high-quality development.
Daqing Petrochemical's R&D of new products adds new momentum
2026-09-04
On January 15, 2024, Daqing Petrochemical Company's polyethylene unit operated at full capacity, producing high-value-added products of 2426F and 2420D to meet market demand, striving to achieve its planned polyethylene production of 108,000 tons for the first month of the year. In 2023, Daqing Petrochemical vigorously promoted technological innovation, leveraging its resource endowment and unique advantages. Through upstream and downstream adjustments, regional layout, and industrial optimization, it successfully developed seven new products and scaled up the production of 19 high-value-added products, steadily enhancing its market competitiveness. In 2023, Daqing Petrochemical also engaged in in-depth cooperation with research institutes, developing detailed plans and conducting practical explorations for new product and material development. The Polyolefins Department adhered to a market-oriented, customer-oriented, and production-oriented approach, scientifically grasping the relationship between market demand and product development, accurately analyzing unit production performance, and striving to create customized, serialized, and high-end products through the introduction of new agents, processes, and technologies. Currently, the company's polyethylene products have expanded from common pipe materials, cable materials, and film materials to best-selling coated films, chlorinated polyethylene powder, and more demanding products such as lithium battery film materials and medical materials, broadening their application scope and coverage. To date, the linear unit producing metallocene polyethylene products in the company's polyolefin division has maintained stable operation for 151 days, ranking among the top in the domestic industry. During the trial production of the new cable material 22E, the high-voltage unit increased the reaction pressure from 235 MPa to 266 MPa, further enhancing the unit's production capacity. In 2023, based on market demand and production plans, the polyolefin division conducted its first trial production of over 2,100 tons of seven new products, including medium melt index injection molding compound 2445L and medium Mooney chlorinated polyethylene type B compound QL545P. All products met performance requirements, further enhancing market competitiveness. Daqing Petrochemical is focusing on building a high-end polyethylene material production base, with a focus on the research and development of high-end new products such as medical-grade materials, 35-110 kV cable materials, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and metallocene polyethylene. It is striving to accelerate the transformation of major scientific and technological achievements of the group company, seize the market for new technologies and products as soon as possible, and gradually expand its industrial scale according to market demand, adding new impetus to the company's high-quality development. UHMWPE resin is an excellent high-performance material with wide applications in medical, sports equipment, and other fields. In 2022, the Polyolefin Division targeted the lithium battery market in the new energy industry and produced its first lithium battery separator resins, UH040P and UH060P, opening a "channel" for UHMWPE products. In 2023, the division continued its efforts, launching an assault on products with even higher molecular weights, and successfully trial-produced UH100P and UH150P products. Daqing Petrochemical's QL505P plastic product has a uniform particle size distribution and superior whiteness compared to similar products. To further enrich its chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) product series and broaden its market channels for high-end chemical products, Daqing Petrochemical conducted its first industrial trial production of CPE type B material QL545P in 2023, achieving import substitution. Daqing Petrochemical's butadiene rubber exhibits excellent cold resistance, abrasion resistance, and elasticity, enjoying high market acceptance. It can be blended with natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber to produce automobile tires and cold-resistant products, and can also be used to manufacture various rubber shoes, rubber sheets, tapes, rollers, sponge rubber, and cushioning materials. In 2023, Daqing Petrochemical adhered to the development direction of "customization, serialization, and high-end" for new products, successfully developing new products such as medium melt index injection molding compound 2445L and ice-blue injection molding compound SAN, meeting the needs of special customers, opening up new profit channels, and significantly enhancing Daqing Petrochemical's market competitiveness.
Daqing Petrochemical: Expanding Markets with Innovation, Achieving Long-Term Success with Intelligence
2026-09-04
"Downstream manufacturers have finalized their cooperation intentions for expanding polyethylene production after the holiday. This is a truly substantial New Year's gift," said Zhu Hongyu, head of the low-pressure polyethylene unit at Daqing Petrochemical's Polyolefin Department, with a beaming smile on March 1st, discussing market feedback. Daqing Petrochemical regards technological innovation as a key variable driving high-quality development. In 2025, its R&D investment exceeded 300 million yuan, with a technological progress contribution rate of 6.2%. It developed 18 new product grades throughout the year, five of which filled gaps in the group company's product portfolio. From meeting demand to creating demand, from quantitative accumulation to qualitative leaps, Daqing Petrochemical's innovation efficiency has achieved deep integration with market demand, injecting strong momentum into the company's development."In the past, we mostly followed the market. Now, we strive to lead demand and create new value with high-end new materials," said Zeng Han, a first-level supervisor in the Planning and Science & Technology Information Department of Daqing Petrochemical. In recent years, Daqing Petrochemical has adhered to independent innovation, laying out its innovation chain around the industrial chain. It has undertaken three national-level and 20 group-level research projects, focusing on solving common problems in the field of high-end materials. Substantial breakthroughs have been achieved in areas such as long-chain branched metallocene polyethylene and high-performance fibers, laying a technological foundation for accelerating the transformation towards high-end "refining, chemical, biological, and refined materials" industries. Especially since the beginning of this year, Daqing Petrochemical has been developing a high-end product matrix, continuously promoting the optimization and quality improvement of C-type chlorinated polyethylene resin, driving its large-scale and industrialized production, and accelerating the formation of a product portfolio encompassing all types of A, B, and C chlorinated polyethylene resins. Upon learning of a customer's need for customized C-type chlorinated polyethylene resin to match imported products, Daqing Petrochemical quickly collaborated with the Petrochemical Research Institute of China National Petroleum Corporation. Based on existing facilities, they repeatedly experimented, explored, and adjusted parameters, rapidly completing the R&D breakthrough and successfully launching the product to the market, gaining high recognition from downstream manufacturers. In 2025, Daqing Petrochemical achieved simultaneous development and capacity expansion for products such as titanium-based long-chain branched polyethylene, with the proportion of resin-specific materials reaching 54.9%. Self-developed DGF series fibers and high-toughness ABS resin were also put into production, establishing a competitive advantage in niche markets. In the new year, the refining and chemical industry faces overall pressure. "We must actively respond to the challenge of shrinking market demand through customized services and precise matching," said Pan Tao, a senior manager at the Planning and Operations Department of Daqing Petrochemical. Daqing Petrochemical continues to deepen its "production, sales, research, and application" collaborative mechanism, establishing a rapid response system for market demand and further increasing the promotion of its specialty products. Since 2025, Daqing Petrochemical has conducted 14 market surveys, visited more than 50 customers, actively helped customers solve technical problems, and promoted the market share of rubber and plastic products in Northeast China to exceed 30%.At the beginning of this year, Daqing Petrochemical was successfully selected as one of the sixth batch of innovative enterprises of the Group. Behind this honor lies Daqing Petrochemical's deep practice of digital intelligence integration. Stepping into the production command center of Daqing Petrochemical's chemical industrial park, a giant screen displays real-time data and video streams. Employees can easily view the operating status of various units in the chemical industrial park and issue precise dispatch instructions with a simple click of the mouse. On the production line, the intelligent inspection system covers 243 lines and more than 2,000 points in 11 operating departments, allowing employees to efficiently complete inspection tasks using handheld mobile terminals. The equipment operation and maintenance integrated management platform promotes the transformation of maintenance mode from passive inspection to predictive maintenance, and the electronic work ticket system achieves closed-loop management of the entire process online, improving approval efficiency by approximately 67%. During the Spring Festival, drones equipped with high-definition optical and infrared thermal imaging dual cameras, operated by employees, conducted high-altitude inspections of the refining and storage transportation department's transfer and transportation joint operation area. Since 2025, drones have been extensively used for inspecting the company's plant areas and pipeline facilities, accumulating over 100 hours of flight time and acquiring more than 1,600 images. "Refining and chemical enterprises have numerous heat tracing systems and pipeline facilities. Drones can quickly and efficiently complete various detection tasks in complex terrains and environments, minimizing the high-altitude and high-risk risks faced by personnel," said Yang Qiwang, staff officer of the Combat Training and Fire Prevention Section of the Daqing Petrochemical Fire Brigade. Focusing on the construction of an intelligent factory, Daqing Petrochemical has implemented inter-system business data integration with the goal of "building a collaborative and shared platform and achieving data integration." In recent years, the company has integrated data from 76 self-built systems, achieving unified business processing on the same platform, centralized login, unified task management, and data visualization. Simultaneously, it has focused on completing the construction and upgrading of 22 information systems, including the "Industrial Internet + Safe Production" system, the production command integrated communication platform, and the production safety video platform, breaking down data silos between self-built systems and laying a solid digital foundation for intelligent applications. From process reengineering to system empowerment, digitalization has quietly integrated into Daqing Petrochemical's production command system. Process simulation technology has covered more than 50 sets of equipment in the company, accurately predicting product yield through digital models. The joint command center for fire protection and security integrates 172 sets of emergency resources and more than 2,000 monitoring channels, realizing real-scene management and rapid response with "one-click group calls".Transformation and upgrading are not achieved overnight. Daqing Petrochemical is deeply committed to industrial chain collaboration and green, low-carbon transformation, cultivating a high-quality foundation through integrated development and accumulating strong momentum for future growth. With the full commissioning of the refining structure adjustment and transformation upgrade project, Daqing Petrochemical's refining capacity has reached the ten-million-ton level. In terms of "reducing oil production and increasing specialty chemicals," it is actively promoting the upgrading and renovation of the paraffin wax system and the construction of a new liquid wax unit. During the implementation of "reducing oil production and increasing chemical production," ethylene production capacity has increased to 1.38 million tons/year, and a new 200,000-ton/year ABS unit has commenced operation, continuously strengthening the downstream chemical industry chain. Simultaneously, Daqing Petrochemical is actively exploring technology-driven green transformation, building China National Petroleum Corporation's first 400,000-ton/year high-concentration carbon dioxide recovery unit, turning synthetic ammonia by-product gas into a valuable resource. To date, it has cumulatively supplied over 240,000 tons of carbon dioxide for oil displacement to Daqing Oilfield. In 2025, with the commissioning of projects such as catalytic dry gas C2 recovery and C4 acetylene tail gas recovery, the company achieved an efficiency increase of tens of millions of yuan. The green electricity from the floating photovoltaic project is connected to the Daqing Petrochemical power system in a distributed manner and is comprehensively applied to all aspects of the company's chemical production. In just over a year of operation, the green electricity consumption exceeded 45 million kilowatt-hours, achieving a win-win situation for both ecological and economic benefits. Regarding deepening inherent safety, Daqing Petrochemical strictly implemented the requirements of the three-year action plan for special governance and fundamental improvement of safety and environmental protection hazards. The implementation of safety and environmental protection projects such as the new sludge incineration unit, rainwater harvesting point source treatment, and the new RTO waste gas treatment facility further solidified the foundation for greening. Simultaneously, the company continued to deepen HAZOP analysis and process corrosion prevention management, building a risk identification and control system covering all units, driving the continuous upgrading of the production and operation system towards greater efficiency, safety, and greenness. "Our next goal is clear: to transform the technological advantages we have accumulated over the past five years into a strong support for the construction of the 'Five Major Bases' and the implementation of 'Digital and Intelligent Daqing Petrochemical'," Zeng Han said.
Daqing Petrochemical Achieves Online Switching in Cross-linked Polyethylene Resin Production
2026-09-04
On June 18th, it was learned that Daqing Petrochemical has shipped over 1,500 tons of cross-linked polyethylene resin produced using an online switching mode to downstream customers. This marks the first time Daqing Petrochemical's Polyolefins Department has achieved continuous online switching of product grades without shutdown on its low-pressure unit's C line. This is another technological breakthrough following the implementation of dual-reactor production for cross-linked polyethylene resin. The low-pressure unit's C line is responsible for developing and producing high-value-added new products, producing 5 to 6 grades per month. Stable online continuous switching between conventional grades has been achieved. However, for new products like cross-linked polyethylene resin, which have high market acceptance and a full order book, it's crucial to eliminate interference factors as much as possible during the initial production phase, quickly identify patterns, accumulate operational experience, and solidify key process parameters. Therefore, initial grade switching employed a clean production mode involving shutdown and material return, with each shutdown and restart averaging approximately 39 hours, limiting the overall capacity of the unit. To overcome this production bottleneck, the Polyolefins Department established a special task force to systematically review the entire process, focusing on comparing key parameters such as C/H ratio, temperature, and pressure. Parameter adjustments and process simulations were conducted, and detailed quality and safety control rules were formulated. During the switchover, team members remained on-site in both the control room and the production site, ensuring close cooperation between internal and external operators to guarantee stable production operations and product quality. Calculations showed that the single switchover time was reduced to 15 hours compared to before. Based on a feed load of 8.5 tons/hour, this increased ethylene processing capacity by 204 tons and reduced economic losses from downtime by 136,000 yuan. This successful continuous switchover between grades has made the unit's operation more seamless and consistent, providing strong support for subsequent production scheduling of cross-linked polyethylene resin. Moving forward, Daqing Petrochemical will continue to focus on improving quality, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency, continuously strengthening its efforts in refined management and technological innovation to promote the safe, stable, and efficient operation of the unit.
Daqing Petrochemical Achieves Record-Best Energy Consumption in 14 Key Indicators in the First Half of the Year
2026-09-04
Daqing Petrochemical, aiming for high-quality development, focused on stable production, improved efficiency, and coordinated production and sales. In the first half of this year, the output of 11 major products and 12 material consumption indicators were better than the same period last year, with 14 energy consumption indicators reaching record highs. New material output increased by nearly 60% year-on-year. Daqing Petrochemical adhered to the principle of "great efficiency through stability," relying on a "one unit, one policy" management model to adjust and optimize the feedstock ratios and cracking process schemes of its three ethylene units, maintaining stable high-load operation. In the first half of this year, the yield of cracked gasoline in the E1 and E2 units increased by 0.4% year-on-year, reaching a record high. The innovative implementation of a "small quantity, frequent frequency" weight-reduction operation method to control Mooney viscosity ensured that the premium grade rate of butadiene rubber remained stable above 98% for two consecutive months. Daqing Petrochemical firmly established the concept that "all costs can be reduced," exploring profit-generating opportunities from multiple dimensions. Through technological breakthroughs, the catalytic dry gas C2 recovery unit achieved efficient operation, converting low-value dry gas into high-value ethylene-rich gas, contributing to a 40-ton increase in daily ethylene production. Strict and meticulous regulations were implemented for the use of chemical additives, including benchmarking of unit consumption and efficiency, reducing costs across the entire chemical additive chain. This has resulted in cumulative efficiency gains exceeding 12 million yuan this year, and the domestic substitution of imported tert-dodecyl mercaptan and triisobutylaluminum has been achieved. Daqing Petrochemical, guided by market demand, dynamically optimized its product structure, focusing on diversified and high-efficiency products, and launched several new materials. Facing high demand in the international refined oil additive market, it actively expanded overseas sales channels and deepened supply chain collaboration. Approximately 79,700 tons of MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) were exported, with products reaching Southeast Asia.
Daqing Petrochemical Optimizes Membrane Recovery System with Zero Investment, Improving Efficiency and Saving Steam
2026-09-04
As of July 5th, the optimized membrane recovery system of Daqing Petrochemical's ammonia synthesis unit has been operating stably for 20 days, increasing high-pressure hydrogen flow by 600 cubic meters per hour. This optimization involved zero investment and no new equipment, and is expected to generate nearly 2 million yuan in increased efficiency annually. Addressing the previous shortcomings of the membrane recovery system, which primarily relied on valve opening to regulate pressure and failed to focus on inter-stage pressure changes under different operating conditions, resulting in low hydrogen recovery rates and high energy consumption, Daqing Petrochemical benchmarked against industry best practices and conducted in-depth analysis of the membrane separation mechanism. They discovered that the core variable for recovery rate lies in the flow ratio of high- and low-pressure hydrogen on the permeate side. Based on this, technicians shifted the control logic from pressure control to flow control, gradually adjusting the high-pressure hydrogen valve opening from 75% to full opening, fully releasing the efficiency of the membrane recovery system. After optimization, in addition to the increased hydrogen recovery, approximately 0.8 tons of steam per hour are saved, and daily ammonia production increases by approximately 2.5 tons, achieving the dual goals of energy saving and increased production.
Daqing Petrochemical Completes Domestic Upgrade of Polypropylene Core Control System
2026-09-04
On July 5th, Daqing Petrochemical completed the domestic replacement of the core control system for its 100,000-ton/year polypropylene unit, achieving successful start-up on the first attempt and producing qualified products. To achieve independent control of the key operating systems of the polypropylene unit, Daqing Petrochemical upgraded its Safety Instrumented System (SIS) and Distributed Control System (DCS) with intelligent and digital transformation, completing 2149 single-point tests and 47 logic joint tests. After commissioning, the safety interlock and emergency protection rate reached 100%. In this domestic replacement, Daqing Petrochemical also relied on the domestic central control DCS platform to focus on upgrading the granulation system of the polypropylene unit, opening up the entire control chain. Simultaneously, the hardware interlock connection structure was reconstructed and the software program was recompiled, transforming over 600 equipment control points. This resolved the hidden danger of single-point failures easily leading to system-wide shutdowns, completing the underlying architecture upgrade of the granulation system from single-line programmable logic controller (PLC) control to dual-line distributed control system (DCS) distributed control.
Forty Years of Daqing Petrochemical's Dedication to Ethylene: From a Spark in the Wilderness to a Fertile Field of Epoxy Grinding
2026-09-04
On July 6th, the morning light of the Songnen Plain bathed the towers of Daqing Petrochemical, China National Petroleum Corporation, draping the equipment in a golden veil. Jiang Dawei, a soon-to-retire recipient of the National May 1st Labor Medal and chief technician of the Ethylene Cracking Unit, pressed the shutter in front of the central control room of the chemical industrial zone. Inside the control room, data flickered and shifted; in the equipment area, vibrant young faces thronged; and the familiar, steady sounds of the equipment filled the air. Everything was so close, yet felt like a distant memory. If we didn't turn back the clock forty years, it would be hard to imagine what this "steel forest" of crisscrossing pipe corridors looked like back then.Ethylene, known as the "Mother of Petrochemical Industry," is a benchmark for measuring a nation's chemical strength. In September 1977, the nation decided to import four 300,000-ton/year ethylene plants, one of which was located in Daqing. On June 28, 1986, a deafening roar shattered the silence of the wasteland. Daqing Petrochemical's 300,000-ton/year ethylene plant successfully started operation! Among the four plants imported nationwide at the same time, it achieved four "firsts": the first to be completed and put into operation, the first to pass national acceptance, the first project to win all gold medals, and the first to achieve full compliance. "That sound was more beautiful than any musical instrument!" Xiao Xingyu, who participated in the construction project, recalled that 50,000 builders, under the blue sky and on frozen ground, relied on manual labor without modern machinery; lacking experience, they studied the blueprints on-site bit by bit. The moment the plant went into operation, the calluses on their hands seemed to soften, and the sweat on their foreheads tasted sweet. "Cherish the glorious history of Daqing, create a new brilliance for Daqing." These gleaming characters, engraved on the wall of the old control room, are also deeply etched in the hearts of every employee. Spanning forty years, this baton of spirit has driven one astonishing leap after another. In 1999, the 480,000-ton/year ethylene technical upgrade was completed, filling the gap in large-scale domestically produced compressor units; in 2004, the 600,000-ton/year ethylene expansion project was completed and put into operation, taking production capacity to a new level; in 2012, the 1.2 million-ton/year ethylene expansion project was fully handed over, and this plant, the first to adopt my country's independently developed process package technology, broke the monopoly of foreign technology that had lasted for more than half a century. The four words "Striving for national glory" are engraved in the blood of Daqing Petrochemical workers. Starting with 300,000 tons, to today's annual production capacity of over 1.3 million tons, they have completed a "three-stage leap" in the history of ethylene production. To date, Daqing Petrochemical has produced over 26 million tons of ethylene, breaking the million-ton mark for annual production for 10 consecutive years, becoming an unshakable "ballast" for energy supply in Northeast China. With unwavering dedication, we nurture our equipment like children, allowing old trees to sprout new buds."I only want to do one thing well in my life: operate the equipment smoothly and efficiently." These simple yet heartwarming words from Zuo Chengyu, a recipient of the China Skills Award, reflect a commitment to excellence. At Daqing Petrochemical, "nurturing the equipment like children" is not just a slogan, but a deeply ingrained, daily practice of meticulous care. "The equipment is the most honest; if you mistreat it, it will show you its true colors." This saying, once a favorite of Jiao Tongxiang, the former director of the cracking workshop, remains a motto for young employees. To ensure these "old partners" are well-fed and maintained, Daqing Petrochemical continuously optimizes its "recipe," adjusting the raw material structure, reducing the proportion of heavy feedstock, and implementing a zero-tail-oil operation mode for the E1 unit, making ethylene feedstock increasingly "lighter" and continuously decreasing the processing share of heavy cracking feedstock. In 2025, the E2 unit underwent partial maintenance. As is customary, a shutdown inevitably disrupts the material balance of the entire industrial chain. The technical team took a different approach, utilizing the process interrelationship between the E1 and E2 units and cleverly implementing dynamic switching on the emission-free start-up line. This enabled the pyrolysis gas compressor to undergo maintenance without shutdown, effectively saving nine hours of valuable production time. With this almost obsessive dedication, Daqing Petrochemical has pushed the concept of "molecular refining" to its limits. By tapping into the maximum potential of the catalytic dry gas C2 recovery unit in the refining area, they have converted hydrocarbon molecules, which would otherwise be burned as low-value fuel, into high-value-added ethylene gas, truly achieving "complete utilization." In the first five months of this year, the combined energy consumption of E1 and E2 ethylene plants and the processing loss rate of E3 reached record lows. Behind these impressive figures lies the unwavering pursuit of "safe, stable, long-term, full-capacity, and high-quality" operations by countless ethylene workers. Digital Intelligence Empowers, Cloud-Based "Smart Brain" Reshapes the Refining Ecosystem Now, walking into the plant area, it's rare to see employees rushing around. Orderliness has become the norm, a source of confidence for the staff. As a benchmark for advanced digital workshops in Heilongjiang Province this year, the ethylene plant's powerful "smart core" is silently reshaping everything. Daqing Petrochemical has forged process simulation software into a "super brain" for optimizing production. Technicians no longer rely on experience to "cross the river by feeling the stones," but instead use simulations of product yields under different raw material combinations to precisely guide production adjustments, revitalizing older units and steadily increasing the yields of new units. Addressing the industry-wide problem of declining vacuum in the pyrolysis gas compressor rehydrator, the QC team in the ethylene unit's cracking section overcame the bottleneck of high-load operation by utilizing digital monitoring methods to solve the online cleaning technology for the rehydrator.In recent years, Daqing Petrochemical has completed the upgrade and transformation of the DCS system in the E3 unit, further improving signal processing speed. Operators, seated in the central control room, can respond to valve openings thousands of meters away with millisecond-level precision. Simultaneously, intelligent inspection robots have quietly taken up their posts, replacing manual labor in the "forbidden zones" of high temperature and high pressure. Utilizing infrared thermal imaging technology, they keenly detect subtle signs of equipment overheating, nipping malfunctions in the bud. The benefits of digitalization extend far beyond efficiency gains; they also extend the depth of the industrial chain. With the successful commissioning of PetroChina's first 50,000-ton/year 1-hexene/1-octene co-production unit in mid-June, Daqing Petrochemical is rapidly advancing along the path of "refining to chemicals, chemicals to materials, and materials to mid-to-high-end products." In the first five months of this year, the company's new material output increased by nearly 60% year-on-year, with high-value-added acrylic fiber products, among others, confidently entering a broader market. From the spark of hope ignited on the barren land in 1986 to the torrent of data flowing through the cloud today; from the initial "ethylene dream" to today's "intelligent ethylene," Daqing Petrochemical has built a new integrated refining and chemical industry, continuing its legendary journey of "oil refining and chemical processing" amidst the surging tide of digital transformation. Standing at the starting point of the "15th Five-Year Plan," the flames of the cracking furnace still burn brightly. The new generation of ethylene workers has taken over not just the walkie-talkies from their predecessors, but also the responsibility etched into their very bones. At the end of the interview, Xing Tongda, the shift leader of the Ethylene Department II, lightly stroked the edge of the central control console, his voice resolute: "The furnace fire hasn't changed, and neither has the spirit. The spark that ethylene workers ignited on the barren land has become a light covering the mountains and fields. We will cultivate this fertile field of 'ethylene' hope and reap a new harvest."
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