The development and application of X80 line pipe steel and pipes in China

Recently, the demand for and transportation of natural gas have been developing rapidly in China, and cost reduction of long distance transportation becomes more and more important. For these challenges, X80 high strength line pipes have been researched and developed in China. Wuhan Iron & Steel (Group) Company (WISCO) and Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. (BAOSTEEL) have researched and developed X80 pipeline steel coil, and Anshan Iron & Steel Group Company (ANSTEEL) has researched and developed X80 pipeline steel plate. In cooperation with CNPC, the X80 coils 15.3mm thick were made into SSAW pipes with outside diameter of 1016mm by Baoji Pipe Company and Huayou Pipe Company, and the X80 plates 18.4mm thick were made to LSAW pipes with outside diameter of 1016mm by Julong Pipe Company. The steel and the pipes have been evaluated by the Tubular Goods Research Center of CNPC. The results show that X80 pipeline steel developed in China has high strength, high toughness, good weldability, and excellent HIC-resistance and SSC resistance, fully meeting the requirements of API SPEC 5L Grade X-80 and the specification for the X80 Line pipe Application Project of China. The X80 line pipes have been laid in the first Chinese X80 Gas Pipeline Application Project which is 8 km long in 2005..It has been demonstrated that X80 grade line pipe skelp and pipe can be commercially produced and the market is going to mature in China.(AU)