ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products

Online client newsletter | June 2020

8 / 8

Extreme steel

ArcelorMittal and Corinth Pipeworks develop new steels for reeled pipelines

Scroll down to read article

Transporting liquids and gases between offshore and onshore locations can be costly due to the infrastructure required. For small diameter offshore pipelines, reeled pipelines offer a cost-effective and faster solution. However, the high strains that occur during the reeling process require steels with tight tolerances on their chemical, mechanical, and dimensional properties. ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products has developed a range of steels suitable for reel laying in combination with Corinth Pipeworks (CPW). The company is a leading producer of welded pipe solutions for the energy sector and a leader in the production of line pipe suitable for installation using the reel-lay method.

Tight control of the steel’s properties is essential for reeled pipes

ArcelorMittal and CPW began developing the steels needed for reel laying over a decade ago. That work has resulted in the industrialisation of several grades of steel coils which can be used to form reeled pipelines. “The steel we use must have the correct properties to perform well at several critical stages in the manufacturing and installation process,” explains Nikolaos Sarsentis, procurement director for CPW.

The length and diameter of reeled pipelines is currently limited by the vessels available

“The reel lay method is popular for shallow and deep water pipelines which have an outside diameter up to 18 inches, and wall thickness up to 20.6 mm,” says Alan Currie, sales director – offshore for CPW. “Reel lay installation is a growing market. This trend will continue as new pipe laying vessels are introduced which can accommodate larger diameter pipes up to 20 inches, larger capacity reels, and faster transit times.”
To ensure that they are ready to supply reeled pipelines for these new vessels, CPW and ArcelorMittal are constantly working to develop the properties of the steels used. “ArcelorMittal’s Global R&D Centre in Gent (Belgium) is closely involved in our efforts to improve the properties of the steels used in reeled pipelines,” says Alan Currie. “The more we can improve the steels, the better we get.”



Steels for reeled pipelines are severely deformed at every stage from forming to laying

Reeled pipeline technology is the fastest and most efficient way to install offshore pipes

CPW and ArcelorMittal are constantly working to improve the steels used for reeled pipelines

To read the full article, please
Click here
















All articles