Dushanzi Petrochemical Tarim Phase II ethylene complex: recent progress, technologies and portfolio
Project facilities
Construction of the Dushanzi Petrochemical Tarim Ethylene Phase II project’s chemical warehouse started on 30 June 2024 and has now passed initial handover after around 500 days of work by the PMT5 project team and several contractors. The warehouse includes 16 buildings with a total floor area of over 2,000 m² and uses modular design and functional zoning to meet high safety standards.
On 10 November 2025, the worker dormitory and gym of the project’s living service center were commissioned in the Korla Shangku High‑tech Petrochemical Park. The living service center is a key regional project with a total floor area of 48,414.86 m², combining offices, meeting and archive functions, shift apartments, canteen and sports facilities to support site operations and staff welfare.
Ethylene project scope
The Dushanzi Petrochemical Tarim Phase II ethylene project officially started construction on 28 September 2023. It will build a 1.2 Mt/a ethylene unit, a 300 kt/a LDPE unit with EVA capability, a 450 kt/a polypropylene unit and two 450 kt/a full‑density polyethylene units, among other installations.
| Unit name | Adopted process / technology |
|---|---|
| Ethylene unit | PetroChina proprietary process technology |
| Cracked gasoline hydrogenation unit | PetroChina proprietary process technology |
| FDPE unit | Unipol low‑pressure gas‑phase fluidized‑bed technology |
| LDPE/EVA unit | LyondellBasell proprietary technology |
| PP unit | PetroChina proprietary process technology |
| Butadiene extraction unit | PetroChina proprietary process technology |
| MTBE/1‑butene unit | PetroChina proprietary process technology |
| Cis‑butadiene rubber unit | PetroChina proprietary process technology |
| Aromatics extraction unit |
SED‑BTX technology of the Petrochemical esearch Institute (SED‑BTX BTX‑aromatics extraction process) |
The project site is the Korla Shangku High‑tech Industrial Development Zone petrochemical park, and the project is a grassroots development. According to the second public environmental‑impact notice released on 26 April 2023, the complex includes an ethylene unit, FDPE, LDPE (with EVA), PP, butadiene extraction, MTBE/1‑butene, cis‑butadiene rubber, cracked gasoline and aromatics extraction units, together with utilities, auxiliary production and storage/handling facilities.
Products and feedstock
Planned main products are HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE, EVA, PP, cis‑butadiene rubber, MTBE, cracked C5, benzene, toluene, mixed xylenes and cracked fuel oil, with by‑products including polyethylene wax, butadiene and C9+ aromatics.
The project processes local ethane, LPG and light hydrocarbons from the Tarim oilfield to produce ethylene, targeting large scale, short process routes, relatively low investment, short construction period and high returns.
| Main unit name | Design capacity (×10⁴ t/a) | Product name | Product capacity (×10⁴ t/a) | Notes / product use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethylene Unit |
120 | Hydrogen | 1.61 | Fuel gas |
| Methane‑rich as |
44.31 | 35.67 to fuel gas network, remainder to aromatics unit |
||
| Ethylene | 119 | To FDPE, HDPE, LDPE, EVA, PP units | ||
| Propylene | 41.34 | To PP unit | ||
| Cracked C4 | 29.22 | To butadiene extraction unit | ||
| Cracked gasoline | 34.26 | To cracked gasoline unit | ||
| Hydrogen‑rich gas | 4.47 | To hydrogenation area | ||
| Fuel oil | 0.28 | To tank farm | ||
| Cracked C5 | 24.69 | To MTBE/1‑butene unit | ||
| Aromatics and heavy components | 1.02 | To aromatics extraction unit | ||
| Cracked gasoline hydrogenation unit | 35 | Hydrogen‑rich gas | 0.53 | To hydrogenation area |
| Hydrogen | 0.55 | To hydrogenation area | ||
| Hydrogen‑rich fuel gas | 3.05 | Fuel gas | ||
| Hydrogen sulfide–rich gas | 0.27 | To sulfur‑recovery area | ||
| Hydrotreated gasoline | 34.02 | To cracked gasoline unit | ||
| Heavy aromatics | 1.01 | To aromatics extraction unit | ||
| Full‑density polyethylene unit | 2 × 45 | HDPE | 52.78 | For polymer sales |
| LLDPE | 37.01 | For polymer sales | ||
| LDPE/EVA unit | 30 | LDPE | 12 | For polymer sales |
| EVA | 18 | For polymer sales | ||
| PP unit | 45 | Impact‑copolymer PP |
18.72 | For polymer sales |
| Homopolymer PP |
9.93 | For polymer sales | ||
| Random‑copolymer PP | 9.35 | For polymer sales | ||
| Polyethylene wax | 0.66 | By‑product for sale | ||
| Butadiene extraction unit | 12 | 1,3‑Butadiene | 11.48 | 1.35 to cis‑butadiene rubber unit, remainder for sale |
| Raffinate‑I | 17.57 | To MTBE/1‑butene unit | ||
| Hydrogen‑rich gas | 0.27 | To hydrogenation area | ||
| Fuel gas | 0.39 | Fuel gas | ||
| MTBE/1‑butene unit | 8/4 | MTBE | 8.25 | For sale |
| 1‑Butene | 1.01 | To FDPE unit | ||
| Raffinate‑II | 8.80 | To ethylene unit | ||
| Cis‑butadiene rubber unit | 5 | Styrene‑butadiene rubber solvent (fresh) | 3 | For sale |
| Cis‑1,4‑polybutadiene rubber | 5 | For sale | ||
| Aromatics extraction unit | 25 | Benzene | 7.24 | For sale |
| Toluene | 5.14 | For sale | ||
| Mixed xylenes | 5.36 | For sale | ||
| C9+ aromatics | 7.73 | For sale as heavy aromatic stream |
Strategic role
Once completed, the complex together with the existing ethane‑to‑ethylene facilities will form one of China’s largest bases using C2 and light feedstocks for ethylene production. The project is intended to support local utilization of resources, secure outlets for light components from the oilfield, enhance the natural‑gas value chain and support CNPC’s refining‑petrochemical business development.
Note: Information details based on the second public announcement of public participation in the environmental impact assessment of the Tarim 1.2 million tons/year phase II ethylene project of Dushanzi Petrochemical Company released on April 26, 2023 on the Korla government website, and on the progress report published by Process Industry (Nov 21, 2025) titled: Dushanzi Petrochemical Tarim Phase II ethylene project chemical warehouse handed over.
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