Key Issues in the Specification of High Strain Line Pipe Used in Strain-Based Designed Districts of the 2nd West to East Pipeline

Abstract

The 2nd West-East Pipeline Project which are building now is the longest of X80 gas pipeline in China even in the world. The geological conditions along it are very complicate. Both stress-base and Strain-based design are all used in the pipeline design. Strain-based design are considered when the pipeline shall via seismic activities, fault crossing and other geological disaster area where ground moving may happen. The pipe which will be used in this kind of special area shall have some special properties besides the properties requirement of the ordinary line pipe. So Tubular Goods Research Center of China National Petroleum Corporation drafted “the Supplementary Technical Specification of High Strain LSAW Line Pipe for the 2nd West-East Pipeline Project”. In this specification, the strain capacity of current X80 line pipe and the testing methods for the mechanical properties are considered. In the mean time, the risk of aging when the pipes are coated is also be noted, and the coating temperature is specified in the specification. Certainly, besides the deformability of the pipe, strain-based design also needs more measures from pipeline construction, girth welding, etc. to ensure the pipeline can endure certain deformation. This paper introduced the general situation of the 2nd West-East Pipeline Project, and several key issues in the specification of high strain line pipe used in strain-based designed districts. At the end of the paper, the mechanical properties and the deformability of X80 pipe which are possible to be manufactured and used in this gas line are be presented.