Japan Integrated Steels to Provide Line Pipe for Alaska Gas Pipeline

Japanese integrated steel makers would get order to supply line pipe with X80 grade of American Petroleum Institute for Alaska Gas Pipeline construction. The project planned to use about 2 million tonnes of large diameter welded pipe, mainly ultrahigh strength pipe with X100 grade or higher grade originally, according to industry sources. However, the pipe specification is under revision when some interests concern the credibility of high strength pipe without application in major pipe line.

The pipeline is planned to construct from Alaska to Chicago. State of Alaska and pipeline companies including TransCanada promote material evaluation, according to the sources.

The project was to use ultrahigh strength pipe with X100 grade or higher grade to reduce cost originally. However, the high grade pipe was only applied to test case. The project now studies potential use of thicker pipe with high strain capacity preparing for earthquake and frozen soil deformation.

Japanese integrated steel makers would get the pipe order from the project when Nippon Steel, JFE Steel and Sumitomo Metal Industries can make both ultrahigh strength pipe and high strain capacity pipe.