Tata manufactured pipeline deepest in Gulf of Mexico

Houston: More than 140 kms of pipeline manufactured by Tata Steel has achieved an industry first by becoming the deepest to be laid in the Mexican section of the Gulf of Mexico, the company has said.

The company was awarded a contract to supply 457mm OD x 28.6mm WT API 5L PSL2 X65MO line pipe from its large diameter 42" Double Submerged Arc Welded (DSAW) mill in Hartlepool, UK for the development.

The project marked the first where a pipeline had been laid at water depths greater than 3,000 feet in the Mexican section of the Gulf.

Tata Steel was selected for the project due to its extensive experience in the manufacture of small diameter and thick wall deepwater line pipe. The mill has been the focus of significant recent investments to enhance technology and processes and increase power efficiency. More than 125 improvements were completed in 2015 to strengthen its overall operational and performance capability.

Richard Broughton, Commercial Manager, Energy and Power, Tata Steel said: "Our investment in the DSAW mill and our continuous improvement discipline enables us to offer extremely high integrity solutions to our clients for the most challenging of offshore and onshore projects."

He added that the overall benefit of the investments can be seen in the welding quality performance achieved during the project in the Gulf of Mexico where small diameter and thick wall pipe is typically more challenging. "On this project, a combined repair rate of 0.25 per cent was achieved. This was delivered not only due to the investment in welding technology but also through a programme of continuous improvements in the welding area which has seen similar developments across many sizes of pipe," said Broughton.

Tata Steel is exhibiting at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, United States from May 2-5. Visit stand 2173 to find out how they can help you.