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API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

(OP)
Has the subject pipe been used with an alternate lcation factor, F = 0.80 in any cross country natural gas pipeline in the USA, Canada or Europe?

 

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

Yes X70 has been used for X-country lines in the USA and EU, but I'm not sure what maximum F value was applied.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

(OP)
BigInch,
Thanks. I am well aware of X70 DSAW pipelines made with F = 0.80 but have no info regarding spiral welded [helical submerged arc welded] pipe at the F = 0.80 alternative under Part 192. I know of some spiral welded X-70 pipelines at F = 0.72.

My personal experience with spiral welded pipe was years ago and it was not impressive (or better said highly impressive regarding its lack of quality seam welds). I expect that welding technology for spiral welded pipe did improve over the past 25 to 30 years though.    

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

Sorry, I don't know if it is/was spiral.  
I'm not so sure I would question the spiral, as much as I question the F=0.80.  Personally. I think F 0.80 is pushing it too much.  They don't even use that in the middle of the Saudi Arabian deserts where there is not even a fly to be found for 500 miles.  Gives me nightmares about BBQd campers.
 

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

I have several brochures on spiral welded pipe and none mention it's use in gas transmission lines, only the normal AWWA codes.
I just talked to a retired pipe line NDT hand and he said that he has never seen SWP used on gas lines. He also state that they did test some SWP water lines to 1200 psig at one time.
I would call someone like ACIPCO's SWP division and pose your question.  

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

If you wish to get hold of TWI Report 14460/1A/03 you will note in the Appendix dealing with HSAW end users' experience, that one operator is claiming X80 and F = 0.8 in their 3000 km of operated pipelines. Since it's an anonymous reply it can't be ascribed; however, it refers to terrain from flat to mountain foothills which rules out Tibet and The Netherlands respectively!



 

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
 

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

I can confirm that spiral pipe is used in gas lines, but I don't know if X70 has been used in North America or Europe.  Apparently X70 spiral weld has been used in the China East-West Gas Pipeline.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

X70 is routinely used in European gas transmission.  Like I said, things are moving on to X80 now!

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
 

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

Steve,

I agree X70-80 DSAW UOE is being used in US and EU, but are you talking specifically about Spiral?

I can only see where X70 Spiral has been used in China and maybe India.
 

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

(OP)
Just for everyone's info, there are two new spiral welded (HSAW) pipe mills in the USA making API 5LX-XX pipe, one in Little Rock and one in Mobile.

BigInch,
Stelco in Canada produced spiral welded API 5LX-XX in the late 70's and some was installed in gas lines.

 

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

There was probably quite a bit of spiral up to X52 that has been used in gas lines.  I think I even recall using some, but over X52, I don't know of any.  

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

Quote (Big Inch):

...but are you specifically talking about spiral

Yes - I was specifically talking spiral as per operators' statements made in the referenced TWI report.

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
 

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

A search of TWI only returned this, apparently a research proposal.
http://www4.twi.co.uk/j32k/gsp/PR6161-ProjectOutline.pdf

If X70 is out there, its operating history looks like it will be short (especially in NG years).

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

(OP)
Steve,
Thanks for the report info. I've contacted TWI to purchase the report. Hope to hear from them today. I used TWI extensively for materials and failure analysis when employed in the UK during the 90's.

I know of recent natural gas pipelines recently completed in India using HSAW X70 and similarly planned for China.   

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

The China East-West Gas Pipeline uses X70 spiral, but that wasn't the question.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

Steve,
That was the ONLY hit I got.  Nothing about a completed report.  And completed or not, #1 I'm not interested, #2, I'm not about to buy it for stanweld, whatever it is. #3, Even if it were free, I still think I wouldn't download it.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

(OP)
BigInch
The report is only available to those industries/companies sponsoring the report. One can receive it if one becomes a "sponsor" at a very stiff price. Also please do not misconstrue my query as being in favor of HSAW in natural gas carrying pipelines - only to verify its use at the conditions described.    

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

I just thought if I searched the site, I should get a hit on the report itself, if it actually existed, rather than a hit on just a proposal to do the research project.  Makes it appear that the research project isn't finished yet.  Not a very efficient search bot I guess.

My "NG years" is indicative of a real natural gas company that needs to see ten years of some oil company's experience with something "new" before they'll do it.  Almost as long as Pope years.

 

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

(OP)
BigInch,
FYI, the report's sponsors include all the "Big Boys" in the Oil & Gas Industry.  

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

Perhaps.  All I can say about that is it doesn't include the "BigInch" or a lot of other international players I'm sure, but as I said, no problem for me.  I just wanted to try to help you.  Nothing else.  Glad you found what you needed.

**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

RE: API 5LX-70 Spiral Welded Pipe

The work was finished and that was how I was managing to quote from it.  It was commissioned because there was an ill perception of HSAW at the time in the upstream oil and gas industry whereas the downstream gas people were throwing it in the ground like it was going out of fashion. The aim was to try and shake some old wives' tales out of the system. Much like the HFW pipe mythology that still abounds in certain parts of the world today. I perhaps should have tied my statement down to X70 being routine for 'some operators' rather than a blanket perception.

If it helps, the TWI report did dispel several HSAW myths.

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
 

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