Various accessories such as buckle arrestors and J-lay collars are needed in some cases to successfully lay and secure an offshore pipeline on the sea bed. For such applications the using of high strength seamless pipes in Grade X70 and X80 with heavy wall are necessary. However, there is only small information regarding the welding procedure for such grades in heavy wall dimensions.
In comparison to steels used for lower strength level, the chemistry of high strength steel pipes includes higher amounts of micro-alloying elements as well as requires a more complex heat treatment. Due to the higher carbon equivalent these steel grades react more sensitive on heat input during welding. Consequently, the range of welding parameters which ensure suitable mechanical properties has to be adapted.
This article presents the results of weldability trials carried out on seamless API X80 heavy wall (> 50mm) line pipe. The welding trials were performed using different preheating temperatures and heat inputs followed by microstructure investigations and mechanical tests of the multilayer welds. The sour gas resistance has to be demonstrated by SSC-tests because it stays challenging to guarantee values below 250 HV10.
