High Strength Linepipe: Current and Future Production

Recent construction of pipelines in Canada has seen a trend towards higher operating pressures with greater wall thicknesses and/or higher strength pipe. At the same time, Grade 550 linepipe is becoming accepted as the standard for new construction. The production of high strength grades in wall thicknesses over 12.5 mm presents a new challenge. The increased wall thickness and higher strengths tax manufacturing equipment to the fullest. IPSCO has recently completed the production of 1150 km of 14.2 mm spiral-welded Grade 483 linepipe for the Alliance Pipeline. This paper will examine the technical issues associated with the production of this pipe at the Regina steel mill. Successful production trials at IPSCO’s new steel mill in Montpelier, Iowa, which incorporates new process technology, are also described. Production of linepipe with strength exceeding 550 MPa will also be examined.