Chinese state energy engineering contractor Sinopec has advanced construction on the sixth and seventh sections of the Saudi Arabia National Natural Gas Pipeline Network Phase III Project, completing over 80% of the total workload. Cumulative welding on the large-diameter pipeline has surpassed 678 kilometers across approximately 700 kilometers of desert terrain situated west of Riyadh.
According to project master Wang Honghui, the engineering team deployed six automated welding units and intelligent equipment manufactured in China. The workflow reduced planned welding duration to within 15 minutes per interface while maintaining millimeter-level accuracy tolerances, achieving an overall welding pass rate above 98% and a 100% pass rate across 15 consecutive days.
Zhao Jie, Deputy Manager of the Project Safety Management Department, reported zero safety accidents across more than 160 operational points monitored by video surveillance. The team integrated Chinese-manufactured virtual reality training equipment covering over 20 hazard scenarios, training more than 3,300 personnel across 130 sessions, which earned the project a Saudi Aramco Management Innovation Award.
The project has also trained more than 5,000 local personnel in pipeline construction under a joint Chinese-foreign staffing framework. Upon completion, the pipeline will expand daily natural gas transmission to supply western Saudi Arabia, including King Abdullah Economic City and several major gas-fired power plants.
Sources
- Seetao · 2026-10-08
