The 26th China International Petroleum & Petrochemical Technology & Equipment Exhibition (cippe) was held in Beijing on 26 March 2026. Following a rigorous evaluation by a review committee comprising more than ten authoritative experts and academicians, the ‘Integrated Key Equipment and Automated Control System for Unconventional Gas Test and Production’ was awarded the cippe Gold Innovation Award.

The Integrated Key Equipment and Automatic Control System for Unconventional Gas Test and Production was developed by Beijing Petroleum Machinery Co., Ltd. to address critical industry challenges encountered in unconventional gas wells during the transition from well test to stable production. These challenges include prolonged construction cycles caused by the traditional phased development model, low levels of automation, fragmented data systems, and high investment and operational costs. The system establishes an integrated technological framework that combines modular design, customized integration, standardized operations, and automated control, thereby facilitating the transformation of surface engineering for unconventional gas wells from a segmented construction approach to an integrated test and production model.

Taking into account the operational characteristics of unconventional gas wells—such as high pressure, large liquid volumes, high sand content, and rapid production decline during the testing phase, as well as stable production, decline, and low-pressure/low-output conditions during the production phase—the system integrates a range of key technologies. These include dual-flow online switching, automatic continuous sand removal, automatic rotary metering, one-click blowdown, and remote centralized monitoring, significantly enhancing the continuity, flexibility, and safety of wellsite operations. Furthermore, by establishing an automated control platform alongside a data acquisition and analysis architecture, the system enables real-time monitoring of key wellsite parameters, remote operation, anomaly detection, and decision support. It effectively removes data barriers between test and production phases and provides robust support for production analysis, process optimization, and refined operational control.

In terms of technological innovation and the transformation of achievements, the system has applied for 12 patents, developed three technical secrets and three proprietary technologies, and produced nine academic papers. Its core achievements have received one national industry association science and technology award, four provincial or corporate-level science and technology awards, and one innovation award at an industry conference. Overall, the technology has reached an internationally advanced level, with several key technical indicators ranking among the leading positions in the industry.

The system has now been validated through applications on multiple field platforms, forming a comprehensive solution that includes integrated test and production key equipment, an automated control platform, and supporting field application systems. Practical results demonstrate that the technology can effectively shorten wellsite construction and commissioning cycles, reduce on-site construction workload and operational costs, and enhance wellsite construction quality and operational efficiency. It has also initially enabled unattended operation, remote centralized control, and targeted inspection, providing robust technological support for the efficient development of unconventional gas resources.