HSTECH is specializing in supply API 5L produced by HUSTEEL, which is carbon steel pipe used for oil and gas transmissions, it includes the pipes manufactured in seamless and welded (ERW, SAW). Materials covers API 5L Grade B, X42, X46, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70, X80 PSL1 & PSL2 onshore, offshore and sour services. API 5L the implementation standard of steel pipe for pipeline transportation system and specification for line pipe.

Our Supply Range for API 5L Pipe

Grades: API 5L Grade B, X42, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70, X80
Product Specification Level: PSL1, PSL2, onshore and offshore sour services
Outer Diameter Range: 1/2” to 2”, 3”, 4”, 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, 16 inch, 18 inch, 20 inch, 24 inch up to 40 inch.
Thickness Schedule: SCH 10. SCH 20, SCH 40, SCH STD, SCH 80, SCH XS, to SCH 160
Manufacturing Types: Seamless (Hot Rolled and Cold Rolled), Welded ERW (Electric resistance welded), SAW (Submerged Arc Welded) in LSAW, DSAW, SSAW, HSAW
Ends Type: Beveled ends, Plain ends
Length Range: SRL (Single Random Length), DRL (Double Random Length), 20 FT (6 meter), 40FT (12 meter) or customized
Protection Caps in plastic or iron
Surface Treatment: Natural, Varnished, Black painting, FBE, 3PE (3LPE), 3PP, CWC (Concrete Weight Coated) CRA Clad or Lined

API 5L Pipe Standard Scope

In API SPEC 5L 46th Edition, it is defined the scope as: “Requirements for the manufacture of two product specification level (PSL1 and PSL2) of seamless and welded steel pipes for use in pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industries. This standard is not applicable to cast pipe.”

In a word, API 5L pipe is the carbon steel pipe applied to the oil and gas transmission system. Meanwhile other fluids like steam, water, slurry also could adopt the API 5L standard for the transmission purposes.

Different Manufacturing Types

API 5L specification covers the manufacturing types in welded and seamless.

Welded Type: ERW, SAW, DSAW, LSAW, SSAW, HSAW Pipe

For API 5L welded pipe common types as Follows:
ERW: Electric Resistance Welded, for pipe diameter normally under 24 inch.
DSAW/SAW: Double Submerged Arc Welding / Submerged Arc Welding, a substitute welding method than ERW for larger diameter pipes.
LSAW: Longitudinal SAW, for diameter up to 48 inch. Also called JCOE manufacturing process.
SSAW/HSAW: Spiral Subemerged Arc Welded / Helical SAW, pipe diameters up to 100 inch.

Seamless Type: Hot Rolled Seamess and Cold Rolled Seamless Pipe

Seamless manufacturing type usually for the small diameters pipe, normally diameter under 24 inch.

(For the pipe diameter is less than 150 mm or 6 inch, the seamless steel pipe is more applied than steel pipe in welded.)

There are also big diameters seamless pipe. By hot rolled manufacturing process we could get seamless pipe diameters at most 20 inch (508 mm). But if you need the seamless pipe more than 20”, we can get it through hot expanding processes, maximum diameters to 40 inch 1016 mm.

API 5L covers Grade B, X42, X46, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70, X80

API 5L steel line pipe adopts different steel grades, generally are Gr. B, X42, X46, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70, X80. Some manufacturers are capable of manufacturing steel grade up to X100 and X120. As the steel line pipe grades higher, more strictly control on the carbon equivalent control, and higher mechanical strength performances.

More over, for the same grade API 5L pipe, seamless and welded chemical elements content is different, which welded pipe is required more strictly and lower on Carbon and Sulfur.

By different delivery condition, there are also As-rolled, normalizing rolled, thermomechanical rolled, normalizing formed, normalized, normalized and tempered, quenched and tempered.

Product Specification Level (PSL1 and PSL2 in API 5L)

What is PSL

PSL is the abbreviation of product specification level. The product specification level can be divided into PSL1 and PSL2, it also could be deemed as quality level.

PSL1 and PSL2 differences

Requirement

PSL1 and PSL2 are not only different for testing requirements, but also for chemical composition and mechanical properties.

PSL1 is stricter than PSL2 in chemical composition, tensile properties, impact test, nondestructive testing and other indicators.

Impact Test

PSL1 does not require impact test, and PSL2 need to do except X80.

Non-destructive Test

PSL1 does not require non-destructive test, where PSL2 required non-destructive test.

(NDT: Non-destructive inspection and testing. It is to use radiographic, ultrasonic or other methods (not to breaking the material) in API 5L standard, to reveal pipe defects, imperfections.)

API 5L Line Pipe Test Methods

Hydrostatic Test

a. Jointers need not be hydrostatically level, provided that the portions of pipe used in making the jointers were successfully hydrostatically tested prior to the joining operation.

b. Except the previous situation, the pipe shall withstand the hydrostatic test without leakage through the weld seam or the pipe body.

Bend test

Cracks should not occur in any part of the sample and opening of weld shall not occur as well.

Please Note: For all bend test, the weld extends to a distance of 6.4 mm (0.25 in) on each side of fusion line.

Flattening Test

The flattening test method is used to verify the deformation performance of line pipe to the specified size, and display its defects. According to the stress and deformation characteristics of the specimen during the flattening process, the flattening test shall show the resistance to longitudinal cracking and circumferential cracking of the pipe, and display its internal defects and surface defects.

Other than above three common tests there are other tests that required in each circumstances.
Guided-bend test
CVN impact test for PSL2 pipe (including pipe body tests, pipe weld and HAZ tests)
DWT test for PSL2 welded pipe

Surface Conditions, Imperfections and Defects Appearances

All API 5L pipes shall be free from defects, cracks, sweats and leaks.

More defects as:

Undercuts in SAW and COW pipes.
Arc burns
Laminiations
Geometric deviations
Hard spots
Other surface imperfections (Defects depth more than 0.125 thickness or ≤ 0.125 wall thickness refers to Clauses C in API 5L.)

Order Information for API 5L pipe

a. Quantity in meters or in tons. Total meters or total pieces.
b. PSL1 or PSL2 (N/M/Q/NS/MS/QS), Sour Services, Onshore/Offshore
c. Pipe Types (Seamless or welded, EW, ERW, HFW, SAW, LSAW, HSAW, SSAW)
d. Reference documents to API 5L.
e. Steel Grade
f. OD (Outside diameter) and WT (pipe wall thickness)
g: Length and length type (Double random length / Single random length / Fixed length / Approximate length)
h. Individual annexes applicability of confirmation

Additional Information

Following additional information also could be included in the PO in different situations.
• Pipe designation
• Chemical composition for intermediate grades
• Carbon equivalent limits
• Diameter or round tolerances for special size pipe
• Jointer welds
• Ends type
• Repairs requirements
• CVN impact test
• DWT test
• Hardness test
• Pipe markings and end colors
And etc.

API 5L Pipe Application

Modern API 5l steel line pipe belongs to low carbon or ultra-low carbon micro alloy steel. It is high technology and high value-added product.

The steel line pipe production has almost applied to all new technology achievement in metallurgy field nearly 20 years.

At present, the development trend of line pipe engineering is large diameter, high pressure gas transportation, high cold and corrosion service environment, thick wall of submarine pipeline etc.

Therefore, API 5L steel pipe should have high strength, high toughness and brittle fracture, and good weld ability, and suitable for sour services and in H2S environment with anti-corrosion performances.

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