Late July 2026 – Positive results have been achieved at Section 1 of the Su-Wan-Yu Trunk Line project. As the welding equipment supplier for this project, Xionggu Company has closely followed every development on site. We fully recognise that each accepted weld represents the skill and dedication of the entire Welding Crew 1 of the Pipeline Business Unit, China Petroleum (Xinjiang) Engineering Co., Ltd.

Extreme conditions – high temperatures, torrential rains, and waterlogged working strips – posed severe challenges to welding operations. Xionggu automatic welding equipment performed reliably inside the enclosed, heat insulated shelters throughout the campaign, providing a solid equipment foundation for the crew to complete 1,101 pipe welds and achieve a 100% first time acceptance rate for 1,000 consecutive welds. Yet we are well aware that equipment is only a tool; the real credit belongs to the crew’s systematic planning, rigorous implementation of the three level inspection system (self inspection, mutual inspection, and special inspection), and precise control over every step – from pipe end alignment and welding parameter adjustment to inter pass cleaning. Stable equipment performance and the crew’s meticulous management are mutually indispensable – this is a true collaborative achievement.

Just three days later, on July 29, another milestone was reached: the project’s first deployment of the “flexible internal welding machine” – a key piece of equipment developed under a national key R&D programme – successfully completed its hundred joint trial run. All trial welds passed both AUT (Automated Ultrasonic Testing) and DR (Digital Radiography) inspections with a 100% acceptance rate – a “double 100” result. As the developer and manufacturer of this machine, Xionggu is greatly encouraged by this outcome. The flexible internal welder features automatic pipe concentricity recognition, flexible joint bending, self adaptive cone head posture adjustment, and wireless visual remote control, effectively overcoming the limitations of conventional internal welders in bending sections and manual positioning. However, introducing new equipment from the laboratory to the field is never a straightforward process. Faced with unfamiliar welding processes and complex parameter logic, Crew 1 took proactive steps: they conducted in depth equipment studies, simulated commissioning, and hands on practice sessions – learning from scratch and building up experience step by step. Operators refined their skills to precisely control root pass speed and weld pool formation; technical staff verified and dynamically adjusted parameters for each joint; and management oversaw every link, including pipe end alignment, preheating, inter pass cleaning, and wind protection. Through more than a hundred trial joints, the team swiftly achieved four critical goals: man machine adaptation, process finalisation, working condition validation, and quality stabilisation.

Xionggu and China Petroleum (Xinjiang) Engineering have long been partners, having collaborated on numerous major domestic and international pipeline projects, including the Abu Dhabi West East Strategic Pipeline and the Zhundong Coal to Gas Pipeline. The success at Su Wan Yu Section 1 – with zero repairs over a thousand consecutive welds and the “double 100” qualification of the new equipment – stands as yet another achievement of our joint efforts. Xionggu’s welding technology provided reliable support throughout the challenging summer campaign, while the crew’s exceptional management and craftsmanship fully unlocked the equipment’s potential.

Looking ahead, Xionggu will continue to offer dedicated technical support and services, working alongside the project team to consolidate and disseminate proven welding procedures and standardised operating processes. We will keep enhancing our product performance and remain committed to contributing our part – together with China Petroleum (Xinjiang) Engineering – to the safe, highquality, and onschedule completion of this critical pipeline project.