The Classification of Line Pipe

​Line pipe is manufactured from high-strength carbon steel, and is made to strict engineering and metallurgical specifications developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Here we will introduce the classification of line pipe.

Pipe mills produce two types of line pipe: seamless and welded. Seamless pipe is formed from a cylindrical bar of steel that is heated to a very high temperature and then is pierced with a probe to create the hole through the cylinder.  Rollers size the cylinder to produce the proper diameter and wall thickness. This technique is used to make small diameter pipe, from 0.5 inches to 24 inches in diameter.

Most pipe produced for interstate natural gas pipelines is the welded variety, because interstate systems require larger diameter pipe.  Pipe mills manufacture line pipe by forming a steel plate or coil into a cylindrical shape, and closing the seam using a welding process.  The mill evaluates the quality of the weld seam using ultrasonic and/or radiological inspection methods and pressure tests each joint of pipe to levels significantly higher than the eventual operating pressure of the pipeline.  

The pipe is further tested to ensure that it meets all requirements of steel chemistry, strength and toughness, and dimensional characteristics.  Mills that produce line pipe to API specifications meet the most stringent criteria for steel making and pipe production technologies to ensure safe, reliable pipeline service.  The gas pipeline industry maintains the manufacturing and test records of the pipe for the life of the pipeline.

API line pipe factory production specifications

This is steel pipe for pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas  industries.  API 5L is suitable for conveying gas, water, and oil.  Size range is limited  only by manufacturer’s capabilities.

API line pipe factory production specifications adhere to the International Organization for  Standardization ISO 3183, which standardizes pipeline transportation systems within the  materials, equipment and offshore structures for petroleum, petrochemical, and natural gas  industries.  The technical committee authoring the standards recognized that there are two  basic Product Specifications Levels (PSL) of technical requirements and therefore developed  PSL 1 and PSL 2.  PSL 1 is a standard quality for line pipe where PSL 2 contains additional  chemical, mechanical properties, and testing requirements. 

Grades covered by this specification are A25 ,A ,B (and the following "X" Grades), X42,  X46, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70, X80.  The two digit number following the "X" indicates the  Minimum Yield Strength (in 000's psi) of pipe produced to this grade.

China to curb fast growing steel prices

The Chinese government is encouraging steel companies to sign long-term contracts with coal and downstream steel consuming companies while improving their product quality.

The measure, set out in a document issued by five ministry-level bodies, is aimed at stabilizing recently fast growing steel prices and further cutting the industry’s overcapacity.

The document, jointly released by National Development and Reform Commission and other four ministries, said that although progress had already been made to cut overcapacity in the steel industry in recent months, the elimination of outdated capacity remains a major challenge.

Despite the rapid rise of spot and future prices for steel in the short term and the recent recovery in output and sales performance of steel companies, companies should carry out further efforts to reduce capacity to support economic growth, as the country’s oversupplied steel sector has experienced years of plunging prices and factory shutdowns due to a sluggish economy, it said.

Analysts said despite the surge in steel price since the beginning of this year, the API line pipe manufacturer supply-demand situation has not changed and the government document aims to stabilize the market and prevent steel price from overheating and disproportionately rising.

According to Wang Guoqing, director of the Lange Steel Information Center, despite the surging steel prices, steel inventories remain high.

Figures from the center released that the total inventory of steel in 29 major cities in China exceeded 12.39 million metric tons as of Feb 10, a 35 percent increase compared with three weeks ago, surpassing the peak of 2016.

The construction steel saw the biggest growth, more than 8.31 million tons as of Feb 10, 50.8 percent higher than three weeks ago, it said.

The government needs to ensure that cutting overcapacity proceeds as planned, he said.

According to Huatai Futures, considering the current stable increase in steel output and off-season demand, the inventory for steel in 2017 is believed to exceed 18 million tons, the highest of the past three years.

China’s crude steel output rose slightly last year, with crude steel production increased 1.2 percent year on year to 808.37 million tons in 2016, compared with a 2.3 percent decrease in 2015, according to the National Development and Reform Commission

China plans to reduce steel output by an additional 100 million tons to 150 million tons by 2020. Its 2016 target to cut 45 million tons was achieved ahead of schedule.

China will enact stricter rules for trimming steel overcapacity in 2017 after making significant progress in 2016, according to experts.

What is the cause of China's steel exports fell 20%?

Continuation of the end of 2016 China's steel exports decline momentum, China's steel exports in January 2017, continues to decline.Shinestar Steel Research Institute  believes that in recent years, the important factors influencing the Chinese steel exports mainly trade litigation.As a main force in the international steel market,  Shinestar Group production of galvanized pipe, piling pipe, SSAW steel pipe, seamless steel pipe, seamless stainless tube, welded pipe and other products are exported  to Europe, Australia, Africa, North America and other more than and 100 countries and regions, so Shinestar Group has been paying close attention to China's steel  exports.

According to statistics, 2016 1-12 months.China's steel exports suffered from 20 countries and regions of 48 trade remedy investigation,the anti-dumping case 32 cases,  anti-subsidy case 9 cases, safeguards case 7 cases;Compared with 2015, the national increase in the number 6;Caseload rose by 29.7%.

When the start of 2017, a new round of trade disputes are approaching Chinese steel exporters.In addition,  the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Thursday   finally decided that Chinese imports of stainless steel plate and stainless steel belt get subsidies, and being dumped at below reasonable prices in the us market.Which  are a step closer to impose tariffs on these products.Obviously, there is a widespread of foreign steel products to China anti-dumping and countervailing investigation  and punitive tariff restricts the space of China's steel exports.

However, Shinestar Steel Research Institute believes that the January 2017 decline in steel exports also have a large part of the reason is because the domestic steel  consumption is better than expected, so the foreign trade price upside down caused by steel.At present, the domestic spot sales profit is high, during the Spring  Festival, billet prices locking in 2810 yuan/ton.Look from the current cost line, steel billet manufacturers remained certain profit space, most of the big difference of billet  and the finished product, the overall profit is considerable.In contrast, the international market price is competitive.

Then another major factor in the decline in export volume from the previous year optimistic about the market outlook, which led to an increase in social stocks.According  to the latest research data, the beginning of the new year chicken, the country's five major varieties of steel mills and social inventory reached a total value of 21 million  105 thousand tons, an increase of 23.9%, compared with the previous growth of 30.7%.Therefore, the holiday effect in the same steel exports decline in January plays  an important role.Before and after the Spring Festival, the exporter to price prospects feel uncertain, orders will drop, buyer also want to such as prices, so the wait- and-see mood is strong in the market.

As a service based on Chinese, global steel production enterprises, shinestar group will seize opportunities, meet challenges, and strive to produce more high-quality  galvanized pipe, piling pipe, SSAW steel pipe, seamless steel pipe, seamless stainless tube, welded pipe and API line pipe manufacturer, discrimination against the behavior of the China steel products say "no".

Talking about the downward pressure on China's real economy

At present, China's industrial production is still in the downstream industry chain, downward pressure still exist, most of the manufacturing enterprises still follow the  "small profits and good sales" mode of production and sales, products added value is not high.Shinestar Steel Research Institute believes that this led directly to the  profit level of industrial enterprises also encounter bottlenecks, such products in China's labor costs and tax costs rise in the background, but also gradually lost the  price advantage, the lack of sustainable development momentum.

The current executive meeting of the State Council once again stressed the need to promote the upgrading of the real economy, it is necessary to speed up the smooth  movement of the old and new energy, collaborative efforts to promote the real economy covering the Agriculture, industry and service industry to flourish.In recent years,  shinestar group has been actively respond to a nation's call for upgrading the real economy, produce a lot of high quality products, such as straight seam steel pipe,  galvanized pipe, api 5l steel pipe, welded pipe, seamless steel tube, etc.

Someone said, "made in China always suffer from two disease."One is the control of the machine and control system can not pass, one is the power system of domestic  equipment does not pass, innovation ability is weak.At the same time, in the case of rising factor costs, China's manufacturing productivity is low, can not be resolved  by technological progress to increase the high cost.

2016, China's overall economic growth rate slowed down, the three major trends in the demand for investment slowed down, consumption is stable, the downward trend  of exports, endogenous growth momentum is gradually formed, the industry is facing the bottleneck of the development of structural adjustment.Is expected in 2017  with the shrinking of effective demand, economic downward pressure still exists, resulting in the macro economy may produce the economic downturn and the inflation  rate upward pressure on the coexistence of "stagflation" risk.

In addition, the high cost of industrial production and industrial products will continue to restrict the development of the industrial economy.According to the data  analysis, in 2016 by the overseas and domestic resources, energy, iron and steel, nonferrous metals and other commodities prices, hand driven PPI stabilized, on the  other hand the possibility of future production factor prices generally rise increase, forming pressure on the cost of industrial chain, resulting in weakening demand,  which restricted the sustainable development in the field of industrial economy.

Since 2012, the labor cost advantage of China as the "world factory" is decreasing year by year.In particular, the level of labor wages, with the level of developed  countries gradually.2016 local companies flight situation caused's emphasis on tax of the enterprise in question, at the same time around the camp to increase further,  the phase of enterprise tax burden is not reduced the problem such as increasing will exist.The future industrial structure adjustment will affect the whole industry  development situation, corporate profits will be in the low post, tax burden of corporate profits stripping will hit production enthusiasm.However, problems have to find  solutions, shinestar group will continue to focus on the development of China industrial economy, combined with their own actual situation to accelerate the  transformation and upgrading.Produce a better straight seam steel pipe, galvanized pipe, api 5l steel pipe, welded pipe, API line pipe manufacturer, injected new  impetus to the development of Chinese economy and vitality.

China's economy to promote the world economic integration

"In the economic globalization today, there is no isolated island." Shinestar of iron and steel research institute believes that in line with the economic law of economic globalization, conforms to the interests of all parties, is the trend of The Times. And economic globalization is a double-edged sword, both for the global development provide strong momentum, also brought some new challenges, new situation need to seriously face.

Facing reverse the tide of globalization, rising protectionism, Jinping Xi in apec leaders meeting in Lima, chairman of a strong response, there is no way out "protectionism", "we can't because at that time the difficult to stop, to participate in the process of economic globalization, pay attention to with their respective development practice, pay attention to solve the problem of justice, leading the economic globalization to develop in the direction of a more inclusive pratt &whitney"...

In the G20 summit in hangzhou, China actively pushing for the “G20 global trade growth strategy”, in order to reduce trade costs and promote trade and investment policy coordination, promote trade in services, to strengthen trade financing and other major trade and investment development goals provides a stable mechanism of protection, in order to promote global trade and pointed out the direction for sustainable economic development. Shinestar group as carbon steel pipe, galvanized pipe, welded steel pipe, line pipe, submerged arc weld spiral welded pipe, scaffolding, and other products production services vendors, also has been paying attention to the development of global economy, and try to realize their transformation and upgrading, contributing to the development of Chinese economy and the global economy out of a force.

Shanghai for 3 years, free trade area construction in building with the international prevailing rules of corresponding open investment and trade system, deepen the financial innovation and establish a new system of the open economy, has made important achievements, stimulated the market innovation vitality. Test new registered enterprises in 4 m, more than the sum total of more than 20 years before listing, a series of important achievements copy to promote in the country.

China actively promotes the economic integration, and constantly promote the development of the brics countries, China - asean, initiative to promote the asia-pacific free trade zone, promote regional economic and comprehensive partnership agreement. Is to fully promote the trade between China, Japan and South Korea, for example, the three parties agreed that helps to give full play to the industrial complementarity among the three countries establishing a free trade zone, to further promote regional value chain integration, is conducive to the prosperity and development of the region.

In recent years, China has always insisted on promoting international trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, insist on multilateral and bilateral two open "wheel" together. In addition, we also need to be more positive in the face of market environment and the economic situation at home and abroad, to build an open world economy. Shinestar group will also strive to improve enterprise's own development, strive to produce more high quality carbon steel pipe, galvanized pipe, welded steel pipe, line pipe, submerged arc weld spiral welded pipe, scaffolding, and API line pipe manufacturer, involved in the process of economic globalization.

API line pipe manufacturer

API line pipe manufacturer
Galvanized pipe using sulfate electroplating of zinc-iron alloy technology, is the production line between the slot and slot are perforated without any solution out or overflow. The production process of the process consists of the circulatory system, the tank solution that acid-base liquid, electroplating solution, the light and passivation solution, only to not use the system to leak or discharge, the production line only 5 cleaning tank, Reuse of regular emissions, in particular, after the passivation is not washed without the production of waste water production process.