TPI April 2009

54 / 68

52 Tube Products International April 2009
OCTG goods and
Pipel ine products
Submerged GRP pipe application
Superlit, a Turkish GRP pipe manufacturer, has supplied (DN) 3,000mm GRP
pipes for underwater installation, for a project to supply cooling water from
the sea to a Turkish metallurgical factory. A total of 600m of GRP pipe lines
are installed submerged on saddles anchored on a continuous horizontal steel
beam. Cooling water for the factory is absorbed 7m below the sea level.
To resist abrasion of both the
inner and outer layers of the GRP
pipes due to continuous exposure
to the salty working environment,
the pipes were manufactured to
reach an effective working life
of at least 50 years. During the
manufacture and installation
stages, Superlit engineers studied
factors including the temperature
change of sea water, underwater
current effects, resistance to
underwater seismic movements,
and the ‘stick-spread-reproduce’
nature of undersea organisms
which might penetrate through
the pipe walls, such as muscles,
oysters, seaweed and algae.
A major advantage of GRP pipes
compared to alternative pipes
is their adequate weight for
sinking. GRP pipes can easily
be submerged and sit on the seabed without the need for additional ballast or
buoyancy.
For easier pipe laying, pre-installation of multiple pipes on-shore is preferred
in most cases. However, pre-installed pipes are subject to coupling slippage
during submerging, due to unstable sea currents and water movements. The
most common technique used for prevention of coupling slippage during
submerging is to install marine lugs at the pipe ends. Marine lugs are T-shaped
steel profiles attached to the pipe ends by lamination. After multiple pipes are
joined with couplings, the marine lugs are connected to each other with steel
rods. Even though the axial resistance of marine lug joints is greater than the
axial resistance of the pipe itself in many cases, the main duty of marine lugs is
to protect axial continuity and to prevent coupling slippage.
Superlit Boru Sanayi AS – Turkey
•
Superlit has supplied GRP pipes for a project S S
to supply cooling water from the sea
Marine lugs are connected using steel rods, to S S
prevent coupling slippage during submerging
OCTG LLP adds
thread line
capacity
OCTG LLP, USA, is adding a third
double-ended PMC thread line at
its Houston facility, expected to be
operational by March 2009. The new line
can accommodate tubing and casing
with diameters from 23/8" to 51/2 " OD.
The company presently operates two
PMC thread lines with OD capacities
of 41/2 " to 133/8". The company claims
these to be the only mill-speed threaders
available for contract end-finishing in
the United States.
OCTG LLP is a leading provider of end-
finishing services, such as API threading
and inspection, to major manufacturers,
distributors, and end-users of oil country
tubular goods. The company operates
at its 150-acre facility with a private rail
spur, and has plans to return its on-site
barge terminal into operation.
Available inspection services include full-
body ultrasonic (UTFL), electromagnetic
(EMI), ultrasonic weld line (UTWL), dry
and wet magnetic particle (MP), and
a variety of API thread gauging and
inspection.
Threading services are performed on
PMC double-ended tube mill thread
lines, which include facing/bevelling
operations, threading, and buck-on.
OCTG also operates a complete double-
ended Mori Seiki SL-8 casing line.
OCTG LLP – USA
New mill for OCTG
Joint-Stock Company Steel Corporation
has been operating in the steel market
since 1993. The company has started
the construction of processing mills for
oil country tubular goods production at
Dneprovskiy Pipe Works (DPW).
The mills are equipped with up-to-date
machinery for production of casing
and tubing pipe. The machinery is
manufactured by companies including
Pipe Testing Machinery Co, SMTL and
Fanuc. The company has scheduled the
launch of a drill pipe production mill for
the second half of 2009.
The drill pipe is completed with a friction
weld-on tool joint, using equipment
from a leading manufacturer in the field
of friction welding. The production line
is completed with up-to-date thermal
processing equipment.
Planned monthly production output is
up to 2,500 tons of tubing pipe, 3,000
tons of casing pipe and 2,000 tons
of drill pipe. Dneprovskiy Pipe Works
is currently undergoing auditing and
certification with several international
organisations, including American
Petroleum Institute (API).
The company’s quality management
system has been audited and approved
to ISO 9001:2000 by German TUV
CERT.
JSC Steel Corporation – Ukraine