Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2020)
API 5L pipe 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.
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
Here we will do a brief introduction of API 5L pipe and related standard
specifications with below aspects:
Standard Scope
Manufacturing types
Different Grades (Covers B, X42, X46, X52, X60, X65, X70)
Delivery condition (R, N, Q, M means)
Product Specification Level (PSL1 and PSL2)
Material specifications (Chemical and Mechanical)
Test Mehtods
Tolerances on pipe diameters, wall thickness, out-of-roundness
Common defects
Line pipe history and milestones
Applications
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.
ERW: Electric Resistance Welded, for pipe diameter normally under 24 inch.
Check here for the differences between the ERW, LSAW, and SSAW pipe.
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.
As the development of pipeline steel plate making technology, pipe forming and
welding technology also has been much improved, so a lot of ERW pipe and SAW
pipe used in the pipeline constructions. Specially for the big diameter steel pipe,
SAW pipe gains a great advantage. With less raw material cost, simplified and
uniform production procedures, welded steel pipe has taken the first place in oil and
gas line pipe industries.
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.
a. The letter L followed by the specified minimum yield strength in Mpa. For
example, L290 (X42) means the minimum yield strength is 290 Mpa. In case of
PSL2 pipe, Suffix letter (R, N, Q or M) shall be added to describe the delivery
condition;
b. The letter X followed by a two or three digital number equal to the minimum yield
strength in 1000 psi rounded down to the nearest integer and, for PSL2 pipe, the
letter describing the delivery condition (R, N, Q, or M) consist with the above
formats.
Letter R: As rolled
Letter N: Normalizing rolled, Normalized formed, Normalized
Letter Q: Tempered and quenched
Letter M: Thermomechanical rolled or thermomechanical formed
Letter S: Sour Services, comes with PSL2 pipe with for NS, QS, MS, eg API 5L X52MS,
API 5L X65QS.
Product Specification Level (PSL1 and PSL2 in API 5L)
What is PSL
Please click here for the differences between PSL1 and PSL2 pipes.
Requirement
PSL1 and PSL2 are not only different for testing requirements, but also for
chemical composition and mechanical properties.
PSL1 is more strict than PSL2 in chemical composition, tensile properties, impact
test, nondestructive testing and other indicators.
For more details please click here for Differences between API 5L PSL1 and PSL2.
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.
Chemical composition for PSL1 line pipe with wall thickness ≤ 25.0 mm (0.984
inch)
API 5L Pipe Datasheet in PDF
API 5L PSL2 Pipe chemical properties:
Chemical Composition for API Sour Pipe
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.
For PSL1 pipe, manufacturer shall establish and follow documented procedures to
maintain
a. The heat identity until all related chemical tests are performed and complied the
required specifications.
b. Test unit identity until all related mechanical tests are performed and complied
with the related specifications.
For PSL2 pipe, Besides above terms, such documents shall provide means for
tracing any length of the pipe to the proper test unit, including the related chemical
and mechanical test results.
1928 First API 5L standard for manufacturing line pipe appears, covers furnace
butt-welded pipe, furnace lap-welded pipe, seamless pipe. Minimum YS 172 Mpa
25000 psi, maximum 310 Mpa 45000 psi. Including material for three Grade A25,
A, B, minimum yield strength was 172 Mpa, 207 Mpa, and 241 Mpa.
1931 API 5L pipe specification included ERW pipe (electric resistance welded pipe)
1933 Large diameter steel pipe mostly adopted electric arc girth welding
1944 Electric flash-welded pipe added in API 5L
1946 30 inch large diameter single submerged-arc-welding pipe begins
1948 Double submerged-arc-welded pipe (DSAW pipe) appears
1948 Release API 5LX standard, covers minimum yield strength material in 289
Mpa (42000 psi).
1953 API 5L Grade X46 and X52 pipe added
1962 Furnace lap-welded pipe removed from API 5L pipe, basic oxygen steel
making processes accepted.
1963 Nondestructive inspection methods starts to use in API 5L pipe specification
1966 API 5L Grade X60 pipe appears
1969 Supplemental requirements for toughness test added in API 5L
1973 API 5L Grade X70 steel pipe appears
1983 API 5L and API 5LX combined in API 5L.
1985 Grade X80 pipe appears
2000 Minimum level fracture toughness made mandatory in API 5L
Before 2000, Grade X70 pipe used in pipelines total quantity at 40%, Grade X65
and X60 was at about 30% each, small diameter pipelines also choose to Grade
X52 pipe, which mostly at ERW type.
This version was started from April 2018 and effective at 1th, May, 2019.
ISO 3183 standard specification for line pipe
In 2007, ISO and API did a joint release for ISO 3183:2007/API SPEC 5L 44th, to
complete a international standard worldwide. Until 2012, United States claimed
about the intellectual property right, so API terminated the cooperation with ISO,
and no longer making standards for ISO. But the latest version of ISO 3183:2012 or
API 5L 2012 still a union achievement, except API LOGO and onshore line pipe
specification for European, the other content was all the same.
The mainly difference between 45th Edition with previously is to add 2 additional
appendix: European onshore pipeline for PSL2 pipe order specification, (Annex M).
And Equations for threaded and coupled pipe and background equations for guded
bend and CVN test specimens (Annex P). For the other content has a little
difference in related standards, manufacturing technology, performances norm,
inspection methods, besides adjustment of text expression. New version of API 5L
2012 is more completely, and scientific.
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.