Pipes and tubing

Stainless steel for Flexible Pipe, MLP and Umbilicals

Whether manufactured for subsea or topside application, oil and gas piping has to go the extra mile.
Working environments are becoming harsher and offshore oil and gas operators must react to a changing market.

So, when it comes to pipe and tubing – durability and value for money is key. 

Consistency and pin-point accuracy in production – whatever the weather

The transport and extraction of oil and gas means flowlines going up against the natural elements in some of the most challenging environments on the planet. That's why our ability to meet the quality and certification standards held by our customers is crucial. Outokumpu has the capability to deliver on the stainless steel safety certification and consistency in manufacturing required by our customers.

Outokumpu certificates

Article

Ultra 654 SMO - the cost effective alternative to nickel alloys

Learn what makes our Ultra 654 SMO a serious alternative to nickel alloys creating an opportunity to reduce material costs by up to 40% . Ultra 654 SMO has built a reputation as the world’s most corrosion resistant stainless steel. With lower density and higher strength it offers many advantages for applications in the most demanding environments.
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Leverage our world class service for your projects

Sustainable, cost effective solutions tailored to your needs
  • Outokumpu technicians utilize state-of-the-art equipment and high-level project management expertise to meet requirements set by bodies such as ASTM and Norsok, as well as abiding by the EN 10204 standard with both 3.1 and 3.2 certifications. 
  • Our production sites have decades of experience manufacturing strip to extremely high dimensional tolerances and complex sets of specifications.
  • The stainless steel we produce has the lowest carbon footprint in the industry and reduces our customers’ overall carbon footprint by 8 million tonnes annually. We provide our customers with Environmental Product Declarations that enable them to calculate the carbon footprint of their products. Figures are calculated from cradle to gate, acknowledging CO2 emissions from both our own production facilities and our energy suppliers, as well as from our material supply chain. 
 

Stainless steel for Flexible Pipe 

Flexible pipes transport oil and gas from seabed to surface and across the seabed as both risers and flowlines. One of the key advantages to flexible pipe is that unlike Clad Pipe or MLP, delivery isn't limited to 12 metre lengths that require time consuming assembly processes. Rather it can be supplied as long sections on drums which means offshore fabrication is less complex and pipe laying is faster – saving our customers time and resources.

At Outokumpu, we’ve been supplying stainless steel alloys for flexible pipes for more than 20 years. Our alloys are used as the corrosion resistant skin that contains petrochecmical or other flows. As a company, we're committed to delivering on our customers bespoke requirements, and specifications vary from porject to project. For example, we can supply austenitic grade stainless steels such as Supra 316L for projects in shallow seas, with some customers preferring to use specific alloys with high corrosion resistance such as Ultra 254 SMO and Ultra 6XN if the water also has high salt content.

 

Stainless steel for Mechanically Lined Pipe

Mechnically Lined Pipe is an environmentally friendly, value-for-money piping solution. The most common manufaturing process for MLP involves inserting a Corrosion Resistance Alloy (CRA) liner pipe into a carbon steel shell, and applying pressure with hydraulic fluid or mechanical force from a spinning mandrelto to push the lining tightly into the pipe body.

Popular grades for MLP range from austenitic stainless steels to special high-performance CRAs. For example, austenitic stainless steels such as our Supra 316 and its high-molybdenum variant Supra 316L will suit many applications. 

 

Stainless steel for Umbilical Pipe

Umbilicals are packaged subsea lines that carry multiple services in a single bundle. They can include flow lines, power and data cables, water, chemical feeds, hydraulic fluid or high pressure air for pneumatic control.

Stainless steel has gained interest aginst thermoplastic hoses as the construction material of choice for umbilicals, with longitudinal welded tubes in superduplex 2507 grade making an excellent manufacturing material for deep and future ultra-deep wells. The advantages are tighter tolerances, higher mechanical properties and fewer orbital welds.

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