Proceedings of The Fifteenth (2005) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference

Seoul, Korea, June 1924, 2005

Copyright 2005 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers
ISBN 1-880653-64-8 (Set); ISSN 1098-6189 (Set)

Advances in High Strength Technology for Natural Gas Transmission

Andrew K Jenkins and Alan G Glover
TransCanada PipeLines Ltd
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

was 200 kPa (30 psi) and the diameter was 406 mm (NPS 16). In 2002
the typical operating pressures of an onshore gas pipeline are 12000
kPa (1740 psi) and higher, in diameters up to 1422 mm (NPS 56). The
trend of changing pipeline pressures is shown in Figure 1. Not only

ABSTRACT
As the demand for natural gas as a prime global energy source
continues to grow, the search for new sources of the fuel spreads into
geographical areas that are more remote from the marketplace. Along
with this comes the need for longer and ever more efficient pipelines.
This requirement for higher value in natural gas transportation is
satisfied to a large extent through the application of high strength
technology and innovative design approaches that support increased
design and operating pressures. This paper reviews the latest
accomplishments and successes in these technologies for use in gas
transmission. It also explores some of the technologies which are
targeted for the future to allow the industry to achieve even higher
benchmarks in reliability and cost-effectiveness.

Pressure kPa

25000

The central element in the theme of high strength technology for gas
pipelines is that of high strength steel. From tensile strengths of Grade
359 a few decades ago, more and more operators are now specifying
Grade 550 linepipe for their large diameter projects. As well, Grade
690 steel is operating successfully in limited transmission applications
and Grade 825 has recently been installed. With the introduction of the
latest high strength pipe comes the need for high strength fittings. The
industrys first Grade 550 fittings were recently specified and installed
on a project with Grade 825 line pipe.

20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Year

Figure 1 Increasing operating pressure trend

INTRODUCTION

have pressures changed (and are continuing to increase) but also the
regions in which gas developments occur are becoming more remote
and in more hostile environments. Discussions on development of gas
reserves in the North American arctic have been ongoing since the
1970s, and many factors have slowed or delayed those developments.
One of the reasons that the pipelines have not been built is because
previous studies have always found the cost too high to make the
pipeline economically justified. In recent years changes in pipeline
design and construction technology have the potential for reducing the
cost of these Northern pipelines substantially. TransCanada PipeLines
(TCPL) in conjunction with major pipe manufacturers and other major
companies have been working on various pipeline technologies that
will contribute towards these reductions in costs.

Traditionally onshore gas pipelines have been designed using a stressbased approach, which provides a safe and conservative methodology.
At the same time the operating environment of pipelines is facing
increasing challenges. In 1910 the operating pressure of a gas pipeline

The prime impetus for increasing pressure in a gas pipeline system and
related increases in material properties is economics. On a large
diameter pipeline project in North America about 40% of the project
cost is related to material, (in a Northern project about 30% of the cost

High strength materials can only be implemented successfully if

compatible design and construction processes are in place. The latest
developments in strain- and reliability-based design will be described
as well as the corresponding advancements in welding and inspection
technology.

KEY WORDS: High strength steel, Pipelines, Fracture, Welding,

Strain-based design

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