Rebirth of the Industrial Tycoon - Vol 2 Chapter 628
Chapter 628 Brag World Championship
Huanghai Petrochemical’s natural gas pipeline technology is at the top level in China, but compared with developed countries, it is several decades behind.
In fact, China is the first country in the world to use natural gas pipelines. As early as the Qin and Han Dynasties BC, our ancestors began to use bamboo pipes for natural gas transportation.
Since modern times, China’s technology has lagged behind the world, so it was not until 1963 that China built the first modern natural gas pipeline. The length of this pipeline is only more than 50 kilometers, and the diameter is only more than 400 millimeters. Now, the natural gas transmission pipelines in many communities are thicker than this.
The modern natural gas pipelines in Western countries were developed much earlier.
Similar to China, before the eighteenth century, the West also used bamboo as a gas pipeline, but with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the West began to use cast iron pipes to transport natural gas, and at the end of the nineteenth century, steel pipes began to be used.
In terms of gas transmission power, the West initially relied entirely on the pressure of natural gas wellheads. It was also at the end of the 19th century that the United States took the lead in adopting steam-driven presses. In the 1930s, it began to use internal combustion engines to pressurize pipelines.
After World War II, Europe also began to use natural gas on a large scale. At that time, natural gas was mainly used in Eastern European countries. Natural gas pipelines built by the Soviet Union were transported to Austria, Federal Germany, Yugoslavia and other countries through Czechoslovakia.
As for Western Europe, natural gas is mainly obtained from the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. At that time, the natural gas consumption in Western Europe was not large, and the supply from the United Kingdom and Northern Europe was completely sufficient. Unlike today, more than 40% of the natural gas in Europe comes from Russia.
By the end of the 1970s, a natural gas pipeline from North Africa to southern Europe was also constructed in southern Europe. So far, the natural gas layout of the whole Europe has been formed.
In comparison, China’s natural gas industry started relatively late. At the beginning of the 21st century, China’s natural gas pipeline transportation technology lags far behind that of western developed countries.
Therefore, Li Weidong is very clear that if Huafu Gas really introduced the advanced technology of Western countries, then Huanghai Petrochemical will not be able to compete.
Technology is something that Western countries don’t give as they say it, and the West does not do anything less when it comes to technology stuck in China’s neck. To be able to obtain the advanced natural gas pipeline technology in the West is a remarkable thing in itself.
This is probably only a top enterprise like Huafu Group can do it through some exchange of interests.
As Li Weidong said, Huafu Group has basically no bright spots except for its strong capital. However, capital is precisely the sharpest weapon of Huafu Group, allowing them to obtain advanced technology from the West.
“Those who are rich and powerful are cattle!” Li Weidong sighed and asked, “Uncle, do you know which company’s technology is used by Huafu Group?”
“Enron Corporation!” Uncle He continued; “You must have heard of Enron Corporation’s name, the second largest energy company in the United States, the top 20 in the world’s top 500, and the top ten in the United States! ”
“Enron?” Li Weidong made a strange voice. After thinking for a few seconds, he asked: “Enron relies on natural gas business for its food, right? Pipeline transportation technology is Enron’s core technology, how could it be so easily handed over to Enron? Our Chinese company? Huafu Group must have paid a lot of money!”
“I don’t know how much Huafu Group paid. But from the bidding document provided by Huafu Group, what Enron provided was not their most advanced natural gas transmission technology, but the technology of the late 1980s.”
Uncle He paused, then said: “Another point is that Enron did not directly hand over the technology to Huafu Group, but provided corresponding technical support during the construction process.
is equivalent to sending engineers over to be responsible for technical work such as planning and calculation, while Huafu Gas is responsible for the construction. How much Huafu Gas can learn during the whole process depends on their good fortune.
But even so, it is a rare opportunity for our Chinese enterprises. There are not many opportunities to directly learn foreign advanced technology. Even if you look at how others do it, you can have a great idea of our technology. improvement. ”
“It is also true that the United States has the most advanced natural gas pipeline technology in the world, and Enron is a leader in this field. Even the technology in the late 1980s, if you can learn it, is enough to meet the current domestic situation. I need it.” Li Weidong said.
“That’s right, Enron’s technology in the 1980s is not far behind in Europe. In our Chinese language, it is the most advanced, far exceeding the level of Huanghai Petrochemical. That’s why I said that this bid Huanghai Petrochemical is basically a No more play.”
Uncle He went on to explain: “Actually, at my level, it’s not a secret. Enron’s technology is indeed much stronger than that in China. The expert group has already reached a consensus, but the day to make a decision has not yet arrived, so everyone It’s just that I know it well, and I don’t say much.”
After ended the call with Uncle He, there was a look of joy on Li Weidong’s face.
“Enron Company, the company that cooperated with Huafu Gas turned out to be Enron Company. At first, I was thinking about what conditions should be put forward to get New Oriental Motor. Now it seems that Huanghai Petrochemical will beg me to buy it. New Oriental Motor is here!”
…
The United States is undoubtedly the most advanced in the world in terms of natural gas extraction and natural gas pipeline transmission technology.
When the European side was still fighting World War II, President Roosevelt of the United States had already laid natural gas pipelines to important cities in the United States.
In the 1970s, there were about 700,000 kilometers of natural gas pipelines in the world, and the United States accounted for 400,000 kilometers, more than half of the world. The natural gas pipelines of the Soviet Union and Europe, respectively, are less than a quarter of that of the United States.
And among them, a large part of the natural gas pipelines were built by Enron.
Enron was founded in 1930 and was originally just a gas distributor.
But Enron was lucky, just in time for President Roosevelt’s New Deal. The United States began to invest in infrastructure on a large scale. Enron began to engage in the construction of power plants and natural gas pipelines, and quickly grew into the top energy company in the United States.
And Enron’s business scope is also very extensive. In addition to its natural gas business and power business, Enron is also engaged in petroleum, chemical, communications, metal, wood, steel, wind energy and other businesses.
In addition, Enron’s Internet technology business is also very developed. Enron was the first company in the world to implement an online online transaction system. At that time, all businesses that had business with Enron could complete transactions with Enron through the Internet. B2B.
Natural gas pipeline construction, as Enron’s ability to start, is naturally the core of Enron’s business. Enron’s technology in natural gas pipelines is indeed the world’s first.
…
“Chairman Song, I’ve accepted it!”
In the conference room, a rather shrewd-looking man clenched his fists at Song Jinlong with a smug expression on his face.
This person is Lin Mancang, general manager of Huafu Gas.
Just now, the expert group announced the results of the bidding. There is no doubt that Huafu Gas successfully won the bid.
That’s why Lin Mancang’s face has this victorious attitude.
Song Jinlong walked out of the conference room with a pale face, his heart was full of unwillingness.
The laying of natural gas transportation pipelines, Huanghai Petrochemical has the technology, experience and more successful cases, and Huafu Gas is only a natural gas distributor, so Song Jinlong thinks that this bid should be a surefire way.
However, it was Huafu Gas who finally got the bid!
After hearing the result, Song Jinlong’s first reaction was that there was something tricky about this tender, and Huafu Gas secretly moved.
But after thinking about it carefully, Song Jinlong thought it was unlikely.
For such an important project as the West-East Gas Pipeline, all well-known domestic experts are responsible for the review, and many of them are academicians of the Academy of Engineering.
These well-known top scholars are not the experts with V who are talking nonsense on the Internet. All top scholars cherish their feathers. It is basically impossible to buy so many experts at once.
What’s more, this is a national strategic project. There are so many pairs of eyes staring at the back. If someone dares to deceive and deceive them, they will lose their heads.
So the only explanation is that the bidding plan proposed by Huafu Gas is more excellent than Huanghai Petrochemical!
“Huafu Gas has never had any experience in building long-distance natural gas transmission pipelines. How could their plan be better than ours!”
Song Jinlong took a deep breath, and then said: “Go and find out what the plan proposed by Huafu Gas is, how can it beat us!”
‘s subordinate nodded, and immediately tried to find a way to inquire about the information.
At this moment, Song Jinlong’s secretary came over, got close to Song Jinlong, and said, “Chairman, Chairman Li Weidong of Puppy Electric has called you.”
“Li Weidong? I remembered, he must be for New Oriental Motor.” Song Jinlong waved his hand irritably: “Help me push it and let him find me after a while.”
The current Song Jinlong has just lost a big project, but he has no intention to talk to Li Weidong about the motor factory.
However, the secretary hesitated for a while, and then said: “Chairman Li Weidong said that he already knew that we lost to Huafu Gas, and he said that there is a way to help us turn the tables. If you are interested, you can talk to us.”
“The result of the bidding was announced, and Li Weidong knew it! He still has a way to help us turn things around? What kind of medicine is this Li Weidong selling in the gourd?” Song Jinlong stopped abruptly.
After pondering for a moment, Song Jinlong said, “Help me make an appointment to meet with Chairman Li immediately. No, let’s make an appointment for a dinner party. Some things are better discussed at the dinner party. Do it right away, the sooner the better!”
…
On the dining table, a Boston lobster is placed in the center, which looks very mighty.
In China at that time, Boston lobster was still a rarity. At that time, China basically did not import this kind of thing. The so-called rare is the most expensive, so Boston lobster has become the top food at the banquet.
Of course, Boston lobsters were really expensive at that time. Because of the import tariffs on seafood, a pound of Boston lobsters in China would cost about three or four hundred dollars, and ordinary families would definitely not be able to afford them.
After is cooked in a five-star hotel, the price will increase several times. So this banquet with a whole lobster will cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The tens of thousands of dollars in 2001 was enough for an ordinary family to live for a long time.
Song Jinlong filled Li Weidong with wine with a smile on his face. Li Weidong was also polite, picked up the wine glass and said, “Brother Song, I’ll give you a toast!”
“Brother Li, I should respect you!” Song Jinlong quickly picked up the wine glass.
At the dinner party, the names between the two also changed to “Brother Song” and “Brother Li”. After drinking a few glasses of wine, the intimacy was like half-brothers with different surnames and different surnames.
It is not unreasonable that Chinese people like to discuss business at the wine bureau. After a few glasses of wine, those who were unfamiliar became familiar with each other, and those who were embarrassed to say it dared to speak out.
Just listen to Song Jinlong ask: “Brother Li, we Huanghai Petrochemical lost to Huafu Gas this time. I heard that you have a way to help us come back?”
Li Weidong nodded: “That’s right, I do have a way to allow you to get the tender back again.”
“How sure are you?” Song Jinlong asked.
“I don’t have full confidence, how dare I come to you!” Li Weidong replied.
“What a big tone!” Song Jinlong secretly said in his heart, but he just smiled and refused.
Li Weidong went on to say: “Brother Song, if I can help you get this project back, then you Huanghai Petrochemical will have to sell me the New Oriental Motor Factory!”
Li Weidong didn’t go into a long-winded way, he directly explained his conditions.
“This project is very important to us. If you can really help us get the project back, New Oriental Motor Factory will give it to you!” Song Jinlong was also very happy, and did not bargain.
Li Weidong smiled and shook his head: “You give it to me, but I don’t dare to ask for it. After all, you are a state-owned holding company. If I take New Oriental Motor Factory in vain, wouldn’t it be embezzlement of state-owned assets! I’d better buy it at the market price, no Let state assets suffer.”
Song Jinlong said, “Brother Li, I’m not kidding you, do you really have a way to help us grab this project from Huafu Gas?”
“Brother Song, we must have known each other for ten years, right? Is there anything that I, Li Weidong, can’t do?” Li Weidong asked back.
“That’s true. What we can’t do, leave it to you, Brother Li, and it can really be done.” Song Jinlong thought of Li Weidong’s previous record and nodded in agreement.
But Song Jinlong immediately changed his voice and said, “But this time, our competitors are Huafu Gas, they are subsidiaries of Huafu Group after all.
Huafu Group has a big business and strong strength. It is also one of the best large enterprises in China. Its scale is several times larger than ours!
If it is just a Huafu Group, that’s all. In this project, there is a top-level help behind the Huafu Group, which is the most difficult to deal with! ”
“You mean Enron, right?” Li Weidong asked.
“You sure know!” Song Jinlong didn’t appear surprised.
Before that, Song Jinlong had already inquired that the reason why Huafu Gas won the bid this time was because it had reached a cooperation with Enron Company. Enron Company provided some technologies and was willing to send engineers to help Huafu Gas.
In the face of Enron’s technology, Song Jinlong knew that Huanghai Petrochemical was not wronged to lose this battle!
If it is replaced by any domestic company, or even a Japanese or European company, it is no match for Enron.
Song Jinlong immediately asked; “Enron’s natural gas pipeline technology is unparalleled in the world. Is there any way you can win over them?”
“Technically, I’ll give you twenty… ten years, and it’s not as good as Enron’s.”
Li Weidong originally wanted to say that “twenty years can’t compare to it”, but after careful consideration, Chinese companies in twenty years have already built natural gas pipelines to Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa, even if it is South American natural gas in the mid-to-high-end market. Pipelines, there are also projects of Chinese companies.
Compared with infrastructure projects, the United States in 20 years is really no match for China, the infrastructure madman, so Li Weidong changed “twenty years” to “ten years”.
Song Jinlong didn’t care about Li Weidong’s change of words, even if Li Weidong said that 20 years could not compare, Song Jinlong didn’t feel angry, after all, Huanghai Petrochemical’s technology was more than 20 years worse than Enron’s, and 20 years was considered to be Lift the Yellow Sea petrochemical.
Just listen to Li Weidong and say: “Since we are more technical than others, we can’t compare with others in a short time, so we can only start from other aspects.”
“In terms of cost, we don’t have an advantage. Although Huafu Gas uses Enron’s technology, when laying the pipeline, we still use our domestic construction team, and their cost will not be very high.” Song Jinlong said.
“We don’t compare the cost.” Li Weidong shook his head and continued: “Since Huafu Gas needs the support of Enron Company, then think of a way to prevent Enron from providing technical support, and this project will naturally return to your Yellow Sea. It’s in the petrochemical hands.”
“Is there any way to prevent Enron from providing technical support?” Song Jinlong’s mind flashed, and then he asked, “Brother Li, do you have a way to influence the decision-making level of Enron?”
“How can I have that ability! If I could influence the decision-making level of Enron, I would have gone to the Middle East to mine natural gas to make money!” Li Weidong replied with a smile.
“Besides that, what other ways can it affect the Enron Company?” Song Jinlong asked.
“Just shut down the Enron company!” Li Weidong said with a relaxed expression, and at the same time he took a large piece of lobster meat and chewed it in his mouth.
The heat is a little bigger, and the taste is a bit woody.
“Shut down the Enron company?” Song Jinlong’s expression seemed to be listening to a cold joke, and he didn’t think the joke was funny at all.
Li Weidong said solemnly; “As long as the Enron Company goes bankrupt, they will not be able to provide technical support to Huafu Gas, and Huafu Gas will have to be forced to withdraw. This project belongs to you Huanghai Petrochemical!”
Looking at Li Weidong’s serious expression, Song Jinlong felt a ray of anger in his heart, he felt that Li Weidong was playing tricks on him!
That’s Enron! The second largest energy company in the United States, the top ten companies in the United States, and the top 20 in the world’s top 500!
Put the Enron Company out of business? The bragging world champion is none other than you!
Li Weidong, why don’t you say that you are the President of the United States?
Even the President of the United States is incapable of shutting down Enron!
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(end of this chapter)