A fundamental building block of all pipeline systems is the linepipe used to construct the pipeline. The specification for this pipe is the means of ensuring that the designer’s and owner’s requirements are communicated to the pipe mill and then ensuring that the correct pipe is delivered. The most widely used specification is probably API 5L; this has recently been harmonized with the corresponding ISO specification, ISO 3183:2007. Within Europe, EN 10208-2 has been widely used, particularly for onshore gas transmission pipelines. This standard was revised in 2009. There are presently differences between these specifications. Development of a single document could reduce costs for producers and users, as all parties will be working from a common baseline and a wider range of markets and sources of material will be available. The European Pipeline Research Group (EPRG) has carried out a comparison of the harmonized API/ISO and the EN specifications. This was intended to assist the drafting committees in working towards a single standard without compromising safety or increasing costs. The study has identified the areas of agreement and differences between the documents. The results of this comparison are presented in this paper, including recommendations for changes to achieve the goal of a common specification. The implications of possible changes for costs and safety are also considered.

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