Technical Challenges of Heavy Wall HFW Pipe Production for Bord Ga´is E´ireann Pipeline Project

Abstract

The recently constructed Bord Ga´is E´ireann, Curraleigh West to Midleton pipeline runs due north from the Midleton compressor station near the city of Cork in Southern Ireland. The 47.5 km, 610mm outside diameter pipeline, comprises over 30 km of 9.5 mm and 17 km of 19.1 mm wall thickness L450MB (X65) grade pipe. The pipe for the project was produced by Corinth Pipeworks (CPW), at its state of the art HFW pipe mill at Thisvi, Greece and represents a first in terms of the quantity of 19.1 mm L450MB (X65) HFW pipe produced by the mill for a specific project. The paper outlines the engineering approach adopted for the pipeline before describing in detail the production challenges faced by the pipe mill in successfully completing this demanding pipe order. Production of the 9.5 mm wall thickness pipe was not anticipated to present any particular difficulties. However, the principal concern associated with the manufacture of the 19.1 mm pipe was that the combination of wall thickness and strength level was toward the upper end of the commercially supplied wall thickness-strength combinations for HFW produced linepipe, particularly as the actual strength of the starting coil was well above the minimum specified level for L450MB (X65). In addition, to accommodate the demanding drop weight tear test (DWTT) toughness requirement the chemical composition of the 19.1 mm coil strip was above the permitted limits of the parent pipe standard EN 10208-2 [1] for the elements Cu & Ni, and the yield to tensile ratio was also above the 0.87 maximum level required by EN 10208-2 for L450MB (X65) grade pipe. Potential risks were therefore identified prior to production and mitigated by several methods detailed in the paper, including for example; increased initial production test frequency, close monitoring during pipe production, duplicate testing to verify mill results, identification of potential construction issues and weldability testing. A summary of production experience including statistical data for the production of both 9.5 mm and 19.1 mm pipe is presented. Also covered are the results of a supplementary investigation which makes a further assessment of the influence of the welding and heat treatment cycles on the final pipe properties. The paper concludes by referring to the overall successful construction phase of the project.