Youth with Promise Writing "I Contribute Oil to the Motherland" in the Desert Frontier

Oil is the most important raw material in modern industrial society. Everyone's clothing, food, housing, and transportation are closely related to oil and natural gas.

For example, a bottle of mineral water placed on a table, which goes through the process of discovering the water source, mining, purifying, bottling, transportation, etc., and finally is placed in front of you, requires a total of one-third of the bottle of oil to be consumed. If it is fruit juice, then the consumption of oil will be as much as half a bottle.

Before graduating from university, like many young people who had never been to oil fields, Fang Zhigang, a first-class engineer at Tuha Oilfield and a technical expert at China Petroleum Gas Lift Center, also believed that by drilling an oil well, oil could be sprayed out or pumped out and applied to various aspects of our lives. However, when he arrived in the Tuha Basin, he realized that oil was contained in rocks and sand, and needed to be washed out time and time again through water, polymers, and other means.

Twenty years have passed by quickly, and Fang Zhigang and his team have forged the renowned brand of "Breathing Out" at home and abroad, fulfilling the solemn oath of "I contribute oil to the motherland".

"What we do is to ensure high and stable production of oil wells."

"Facing the endless yellow sand and vast Gobi every day, I feel a bit monotonous and lonely after a long time, but I have become accustomed to it." After graduating from university, Fang Zhigang, a young man from Northeast China, came to the northwest of our country, which gradually made him develop a special affection for this land of Xinjiang. In his eyes, the vast desert harbors infinite possibilities. "If you want to do oil, you want to choose the place with the most oil fields, and the most promising place in the future is Xinjiang," he said.

When Fang Zhigang first arrived at the Tuha Oilfield, he interned at the Tuha Drilling Company. The drilling work is vastly different from the scene imagined by Fang Zhigang. Fang Zhigang started working on the site every day, lifting drill pipes and clearing rock debris. Throughout the day, he was covered in mud and oil stains. What impressed him the most was one day when a nearby drilling well overflowed, and several drilling teams helped to prepare the mud. Fang Zhigang and his colleagues carried barite powder and poured bags into the mud pit. A bag of 25 kilograms, busy from afternoon until late at night, everyone collapsed at the well site when the danger was resolved.

This is Fang Zhigang's first experience of heavy physical labor. Later, I heard from my master that overflow is a precursor to a blowout, and barite powder mixed with mud is used for well killing and spraying. If you press down on the well, it's okay. If you can't press down on the well, it's a blowout accident, and the most serious one can lead to machine damage and human death. At that time, the scene of Iron Man Wang Jinxi jumping into the mud pit appeared in Fang Zhigang's mind, and he also understood the special significance of everyone "pulling their shoulders and carrying uniforms to overflow".

After the first Spring Festival in Tuha Oilfield, the company notified Fang Zhigang to report to the Engineering Technology Research Institute. Upon arriving at the engineering institute and the gas lift center, Fang Zhigang's first task was to design a small wellbore expansion packer. At that time, the Tuha Oilfield applied window drilling technology to revive a batch of old and damaged wells and put them back on duty. But the small diameter packer that matches it is not available domestically, and the oilfield has decided to develop it independently.

When designing the rubber cylinder, the research team encountered difficulties. If the size is small, the pressure bearing capacity is not enough, and if the size is large, it cannot be lowered into the well. Everyone repeatedly adjusted the design, but was unable to solve the problem. "This is like a seesaw, looking at one end but not the other," Fang Zhigang said.

After soaking in the workshop for several days, Fang Zhigang pondered repeatedly and found that the most severe deformation of the rubber cylinder during operation was mainly at both ends, and this factor mainly affected the sealing performance.

"Can we change the rubber cylinder from a fixed type to a movable type, which can reduce the risk of damage and improve sealing?" Fang Zhigang's idea was implemented and indeed solved the problem. Master asserted, "A young man with one mind can succeed in technology and research!"

After a period of oil well production, if the pressure and production decrease, manual lifting is needed to increase production. In Fang Zhigang's view, among the many artificial lift oil recovery methods, gas lift is the most capable of unleashing the energy of the reservoir itself. Under the condition of having a gas source, gas lift oil recovery is the preferred and most cost-effective manual lifting method in oil fields. Moreover, from the initial production stage to the final shutdown of the well, gas lift can achieve full life cycle oil recovery.

With gas lift, wells with insufficient energy for self jetting production can be produced normally, low yielding wells can increase production, and high yielding wells can achieve higher production. Fang Zhigang often vividly said to the gas lift team members, "Our job is to ensure high and stable production of oil wells, promote efficient development of oil fields, and strive to make oil fields younger."

"The mountain is climbed step by step."

In 2010, Fang Zhigang took over the 48 gas lift technology service of the BBA oilfield in the Middle East, with the biggest challenge being the gas lift tool.

BBA oilfield crude oil has "four highs", high sulfur content, high wax content, high carbon dioxide content, high asphaltene content, and high requirements for sulfur and corrosion prevention of downhole tools. Especially with the large size and high production of oil wells, the diameter of the working cylinder of the gas lift valve is required to be 168 millimeters, while the maximum size used for gas lift in the past was only 127 millimeters.

The diameter has increased by 41 millimeters, which appears to have only increased by one-third, but the process difficulty is increasing geometrically. It is not easy to talk about it! Within one year, the tool research and development, manufacturing, and testing will be completed, and it will be put into on-site application. The time is tight, the task is heavy, and the difficulty is high. When I first took over the task in 2010, many people described it as an "impossible task".

"The mountain is climbed step by step, and the boat is shaken out one by one." Fang Zhigang said, "If you don't do it, you can never succeed."

But when it comes to work, difficult problems come one after another.

Firstly, it is to prevent hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur is the nemesis of metals, and most metals will experience hydrogen embrittlement when encountering hydrogen sulfide, resulting in a significant decrease in stress and easy detachment. The upper and lower ends of the working cylinder of the gas lift valve are connected to oil pipes with a relatively small diameter, while the diameter of the main body is relatively large, and overall, the two ends are small and the middle is thick. In the past, the working cylinder of gas lift valves was mostly welded using a three-stage combination and two weld seams. And sulfur has a great impact on the weld seam, making the sulfur resistant welding process more difficult.

Fang Zhigang has searched for one factory after another in China, but none of them can guarantee sulfur resistant welding. "Welding doesn't work, change to forging!" Forging is also quite difficult. He and his team repeatedly optimized the structure countless times just to solve the problems of shrinkage ratio and compression resistance, and finally had to choose a shaped working cylinder similar to an ellipse.

Pressing down the gourd and lifting the gourd, we avoided the difficulty of welding and faced the challenge of forging. The irregular structure has greatly increased the difficulty of forging processing. Finding a top domestic factory in Shenyang also took more than half a year to pass the research.

This type of problem, big and small, has been solved dozens of times, almost all of which are original solutions. Finally, it's time to awaken the downhole gas lift tool. The gas lift tool that has been dormant in the well for several years, whether it can be started normally, and the gas lift ceremony of Well 028, have touched the hearts of all parties in the oilfield. Although every step of gas lift is meticulously calculated and carefully considered, many of the original techniques used in oil extraction under such harsh conditions are unprecedented in China. "Whether it's a dragon or a worm, we will eventually see the difference." Just like welcoming the birth of a child, Fang Zhigang was both nervous and excited during those few days. "I still have confidence in the work I've done!"

At 9:00 am on July 18, 2017, as the gas injection valve opened, natural gas was continuously injected into the wellbore. After two days, the gas lift well entered normal operation, and the oil well production steadily increased until it exceeded 30% of the initial daily production. The oil field has received an environmental protection award from the local government, marking the first time in decades that a local government's foreign cooperation project has received such an honor.

"My greatest value lies here"

Working in oil fields and providing gas lift services both domestically and internationally, it is a norm for Fang Zhigang's family life to gather and leave, and even his wife who works in the same unit rarely encounters him.

At the end of 2014, Fang Zhigang hurried back to his hometown when his father was dying in the northeast. When I saw my father in the hospital, his condition was very serious and he was no longer suitable for treatment. The father said, "Child, let's go home." On the same day, he passed away in the middle of the night.

Working for many years, far away from my hometown, the days spent with my father are few and far between. Fang Zhigang said that the most regrettable thing is that he was unable to persuade his father to come to Xinjiang to live together before his death, despite his desire to raise him.

After his youngest daughter was born, he went on business trips all year round. Occasionally on vacation, but I can't stay for a few days before leaving. When I first met my dad, my little daughter felt unfamiliar and cried uncontrollably. She slept at night and kicked him out. A few days later, Fang Zhigang and his daughter finally got a little excited, and it was time to leave again.

In 2011, Tuha Qiju entered the Middle East market. As the person in charge of the Middle East project in Beijing, Fang Zhigang is busy like a spinning top every day. In July, it was a critical moment for business operations, and both daughters had a high fever at the same time. Three days have passed, but the fever still persists. My wife was so anxious that she couldn't help but call Fang Zhigang.

Report to the leader, grant leave immediately, and arrange for colleagues in Tuha Oilfield to coordinate vehicles and help take care of them. Fang Zhigang finished his current work overnight and instructed his colleagues before hastily flying back to Xinjiang and rushing to the hospital. At this time, the child's body temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, especially for the one and a half year old daughter who is particularly severe. After a fever, she has been in a coma, and the doctor suggests an immediate transfer to the hospital. They rushed to Urumqi overnight and were directly placed in the intensive care unit by the hospital. Seeing the child with oxygen and stomach tubes inserted, this strong Northeastern man shed tears.

Fortunately, three days later, the high fever eased and the child could open their eyes. The couple finally felt a little relieved. One week later, the child was transferred to a regular ward. Fang Zhigang was prepared to endure his wife's complaints and scolding, but his wife didn't say anything. She understands that most oil households are like this.

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China also mentioned "strengthening the construction of security capabilities in key areas, ensuring the security of food, energy resources, and important industrial and supply chains." "Supporting the accelerated development of revolutionary old areas and ethnic minority areas, strengthening the construction of border areas, promoting the revitalization and prosperity of the people, and stabilizing the border." In recent years, some mainland enterprises have also offered olive branches, offering high salaries, hoping to seek common development. Fang Zhigang politely declined. Fang Zhigang said, "It was my breath that made me successful. My greatest value lies here, and the stage for showcasing my talents is also here."

Editor-in-Chief: Wang Zengjian, Mou Haokun

Editing: Wang Qiangqiang

Organizational structure of the "Youthful" series of micro videos

Guidance unit: Network Communication Bureau of the Central Cyberspace Administration

Production unit: China Youth Network

Supported by: China Internet Development Foundation