The Western Crude Oil Pipeline, China's longest one of its kind with a large drop in level, delivers crude oil produced from Tarim, Xinjiang and Tuha Oilfields, as well as those imported from Kazakhstan through Alashankou-Dushanzi Crude Pipeline, to Lanzhou and Yumen Petrochemical Company, and isused to in a batch transportation way. Being constrained by the oil source and the downstream storage capacity, the pipeline had been operated at low flow rates since its completion, and was suffering from high risk of pipeline coagulation and other transportation difficulties in winter.
At the end of 2008, a blending transportation manner was adopted for the pipeline. Blending transportation has effectively reduced the minimum flow rate and prolonged the shutdown time so as to release storage burden of the downstream refineries. Meanwhile, safe operation of the pipeline in winter has been ensured. Up to now, the pipeline has worked smoothly for 66 days, with higher efficiency and lower costs.