KUNGFLEX 4000 kg ultra-high pressure test, safeguarding the dream of a strong maritime nation
2026-03-14
Recently, there have been frequent good news in the field of marine engineering equipment in China, and two major breakthroughs have attracted the attention of the industry. These achievements not only demonstrate the strength of China's deep-sea oil and gas development, but also put forward higher requirements for the testing capabilities of related supporting equipment.
1. The first set of localized FPSO new riser support system was successfully delivered
In November 2025, the first set of localized FPSO (floating production and storage equipment) new riser support system led by the Shandong Marine Engineering Equipment and Materials Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community was successfully delivered, becoming a milestone event in the process of autonomy of offshore equipment in China.
As a "deep-sea hub" for offshore oil and gas development, FPSO's riser support system has long been monopolized by European and American companies, with strict technical blockades, and the procurement cost of a single set of equipment is as high as tens of millions of yuan, and the delivery cycle is as long as 18 months. In 2023, the community will list this technology as the core research direction, relying on the leading advantages of CIMC Institute of Ocean Engineering, and link up with 56 member units to form an interdisciplinary research team - material companies to provide corrosion-resistant alloy formulas, universities and institutes to optimize structural mechanical design, and testing institutions to build deep-sea simulation test platforms, completing the whole process breakthrough from theoretical modeling to product offline in just 12 months.
The technical gold content of the system is remarkable: through the 1200-meter water depth simulation test, the fatigue resistance performance is increased by 20% and the cost is reduced by 40% compared with similar foreign products.
2. The construction of Asia's largest cylindrical "offshore oil and gas plant"
In March 2026, the cylindrical FPSO of the Kaiping South Oilfield Development Project, the largest cylindrical "offshore oil and gas plant" independently designed and built by China, started construction in Qingdao.
The project has a full load displacement of more than 170,000 tons, a maximum oil storage capacity of 122,000 cubic meters, a deck area equivalent to 23 standard basketball courts, and ranks first in the world in terms of hull weight and deck outer diameter. After completion, it will become the largest cylindrical "offshore oil and gas plant" in Asia with the strongest oil and gas processing and storage capacity.
It is particularly worth mentioning that the project adopts the ultra-high standard design of 30 years of offshore operation without returning to dock, successfully breaking through the scientific principles of the two key areas of large cylindrical floating body motion control and complex pipe and cable coupling response suppression, innovating and forming 4 original technologies, and upgrading more than 10 key technologies. These technological breakthroughs can effectively cope with the deep-water environment with frequent typhoons and harsh sea conditions, and further improve the technical system of deep-water oil and gas development equipment design in China.
3. Deep-sea equipment puts forward higher requirements for testing capabilities
The breakthrough of the two major projects is inseparable from a key link - high-voltage testing.
In the research and development process of the first set of localized riser support system, "testing institutions build a deep-sea simulation test platform" is one of the core research forces. The simulation test at a depth of 1,200 meters corresponds to a pressure of about 120 kg, which is already quite a harsh test condition.
The eastern waters of the South China Sea, where the Kaiping project is located, have a water depth of more than 500 meters and proven geological reserves of more than 100 million tons. Under the complex conditions of deep water, new area and deep depth, extremely high requirements are put forward for the adaptability, reliability and safety of equipment. The key component in oil and gas extraction equipment, the high-performance dynamic flexible riser, is one of the more than 30 major scientific and technological research projects in the "modern industrial chain of deep-water oil and gas equipment".
On the drilling platform, the hydraulic tubing of iron drillers is the core component to ensure the continuity of drilling operations. When iron drillers of national oil wells and other brands work, the hydraulic system needs to bear huge torque loads, and the maximum buckle torque can reach tens of thousands of Nm, which requires the supporting hydraulic hoses to have extremely high pulse fatigue life and impact resistance. The ultra-high pressure hose on the drilling platform usually adopts a 4-layer or even 6-layer steel wire winding structure, with a working pressure of more than 5000psi and a blasting pressure requirement of 4 times the safety factor.
Before entering service, these deep-water equipment must undergo pressure tests that are much higher than actual working conditions to ensure absolute safety in harsh sea conditions.
4. Shanghai Beirun: 4000 kg ultra-high pressure test capacity to escort offshore equipment
It is precisely because of the insight into the urgent need for high-pressure testing of deep-sea equipment that Shanghai Beirun Hydraulic Equipment Co., Ltd. has continued to invest for many years and has built an ultra-high pressure test system of 4,000 kg (about 4,000 bar/58,000 psi).
What does this testing capability mean?
4000 kg vs 120 kg – our testing capacity is more than 30 times what is actually needed in the deep sea!
The current deepest depth simulation test of 1,200 meters requires only about 120 kg of pressure
The 4,000 kg test capacity can cover future exploration needs in deeper waters
Under the industry standard of 4 times the safety factor, it ensures absolute reliability of 1000 kg working pressure equipment
● Ultra-high pressure hose for drilling platforms
For the harsh working conditions of drilling platforms, Shanghai Beirun can provide a series of ultra-high pressure hose products for drilling platforms, which are suitable for key links such as mud transportation, well pressure manifolds, and throttling manifolds. This type of hose features a multi-layer high-strength steel wire winding structure with a Type 1502 hammered joint for stable operation at 10,000 PSI (approx. 690 kg) and burst pressure up to 40,000 PSI. The outer rubber layer is made of synthetic rubber that is resistant to ozone, weather and wear, which is suitable for the harsh environment of sea salt spray, sun exposure and large temperature differences.
● Ultra-high pressure hose for offshore engineering
Offshore ultra-high pressure hose is another core product line of Shanghai Beirun, specially designed for marine engineering equipment, with the following characteristics:
Strong corrosion resistance: EPDM, HNBR and other special rubbers are used, resistant to seawater corrosion, hydrogen sulfide and other acidic media
Excellent wear resistance: the outer rubber layer has passed the DIN 53516 wear resistance test, and the wear rate ≤ 0.02mm/10,000 cycles
Wide temperature range adaptation: Operating temperature range from -40°C to +120°C to meet the needs of global sea operations
● FPSO special hydraulic hose
FPSO special hydraulic hose design for special working conditions of floating production and storage equipment:
It is suitable for the transportation of fuel, hydraulic oil, liquid slurry and other media
The safety factor reaches 4:1, ensuring reliability in long-term maritime operations
Quick couplings can be configured to meet the needs of FPSO frequent connection and disassembly
Every Shanghai Beirun offshore hose must go through the strict inspection of the 4000kg test system before leaving the factory. From material screening to finished product testing, we use ultra-high pressure testing capabilities to escort the quality of each pipe.
5. Conclusion
From the successful delivery of the first set of localized FPSO riser support system to the start of construction of Asia's largest cylindrical "offshore oil and gas plant", China's marine engineering equipment is moving towards autonomy and high-end at an unprecedented speed. In this process, the importance of high-voltage testing as the "goalkeeper" of equipment reliability has become increasingly prominent.
Hydraulic tubing for iron drillers, supporting hoses for iron drillers in national oil wells, hydraulic hoses for drilling platforms, ultra-high pressure hoses for drilling platforms, ultra-high pressure hoses for offshore engineering, and hydraulic hoses for FPSO - Shanghai Beirun can provide one-stop hose solutions for all kinds of offshore equipment. All products are guaranteed by 4,000 kg of ultra-high pressure testing capacity, contributing a "pressure" guarantee to the dream of a maritime power.
