In April 2026, the Zhong 37 Tower-Type Water-Based High-Temperature Solar Thermal Project in the Fengcheng Oilfield Operation Area of Xinjiang Oilfield was fully commissioned. As the world’s first tower-type solar thermal replacement demonstration project for ultra-heavy oil extraction, it uses sunlight from the Gobi Desert to produce high-temperature steam, replacing fossil fuels for heavy oil thermal recovery and achieving zero carbon emissions across the entire process.
The project is located at China’s largest integrated shallow ultra-heavy oil production base. It has an annual steam production capacity of 52,000 tons, which can directly replace 3.9 million cubic meters of natural gas—equivalent to the annual gas consumption of nearly 20,000 urban households. Since its commissioning in September 2025, it has cumulatively produced over 5,000 tons of zero-carbon steam.
The core innovation of the project lies in its world-first “balanced energy supply mode” of “generating steam from solar thermal above ground and storing energy in steam chambers underground.” A total of 23,000 heliostats reflect sunlight to the top of a 100‑meter tower, heating water to 305°C to produce superheated steam. Excess steam generated during the day is injected underground for storage, providing continuous heat at night. This solves the intermittency issue of solar thermal power and enables 24‑hour stable oil extraction.
China has nearly 20 billion tons of heavy oil resources, with an annual output exceeding 16 million tons. Traditional thermal recovery consumes 3 to 8 times more energy than conventional extraction and emits over 16 million tons of carbon per year. This project has opened a new track for solar thermal technology in the industrial heating sector. Since industrial process heat accounts for more than 50% of China’s carbon emissions, the market potential is enormous.
The extraction of oil and natural gas cannot be achieved without separation equipment.
Shanghai Shangjiang Petroleum Engineering Equipment Co., Ltd. established in Shanghai in 2016, is a modern technology enterprise integrating R&D, design, production, and service. We are dedicated to developing separation and filtration equipment for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Our high-efficiency product portfolio includes de-oiling/dewatering hydrocyclones, desanders for micron-sized particles, and compact flotation units. We provide complete skid-mounted solutions and also offer third-party equipment retrofitting and after-sales services. Holding multiple proprietary patents and operating under a DNV-GL certified ISO-9001, ISO-14001, and ISO-45001 management system, we deliver optimized process solutions, precise product design, strict adherence to engineering specifications, and ongoing operational support.
Our high-efficiency cyclone desanders, renowned for their exceptional 98% separation rate, have earned recognition from international energy leaders. Constructed with advanced wear-resistant ceramics, these units achieve 98% removal of particles as fine as 0.5 microns in gas streams. This capability enables the reinjection of produced gas for miscible flooding in low-permeability reservoirs, a key solution for enhancing oil recovery in challenging formations. Alternatively, they can treat produced water, removing 98% of particles larger than 2 microns for direct reinjection, thereby boosting water-flood efficiency while minimizing environmental impact.
Our new product——The High Efficiency Ultra-Fine Particle Desander is a liquid-solid separation device that utilizes an efficient centrifugal principle to separate suspended impurities—such as solids in produced water, seawater, condensate, fine particles in high-viscosity liquids, and catalyst powder in reactors—from fluids (liquids, gases, or gas-liquid mixtures). It effectively removes solid particles with sizes down to 2 microns (at 98% efficiency) or smaller.
The High Efficiency Ultra-Fine Particle Desander delivers high sand removal efficiency, capable of removing solid particles down to 2 microns. The equipment features a compact footprint, requires no external power or chemical additives, and has a service life of approximately 20 years. It offers online sand discharge capability without the need for production shutdown.
Proven in major global fields operated by CNOOC, CNPC, Petronas, and others across Southeast Asia, SJPEE desanders are deployed on wellhead and production platforms. They provide reliable solids removal from gas, well fluids, and condensate, and are critical for seawater purification, production stream protection, and water injection/flooding programs.
Beyond desanders, SJPEE offers a portfolio of acclaimed separation technologies. Our product line includes membrane systems for natural gas CO₂ removal, deoiling hydrocyclones, high-performance compact flotation units (CFUs), shale gas desanding，Cyclonic dewater package with produced water treatment，and multi-chamber hydrocyclones, delivering comprehensive solutions for the industry’s toughest challenges.
Post time: Apr-08-2026