It is hard to find a harsher environment than the open sea, particularly where metals are concerned. But when offshore oil and gas are the lifeblood of your economy, as is the case with Qatar, working in those wet, salty conditions is the reality. Finding equipment that can withstand both the punishing weather and the highly corrosive properties of the crude oil itself is a must.
This was the challenge that Maersk Oil Qatar and Qatar Petroleum faced when expanding the Al Shaheen offshore oil field, a Persian Gulf facility that comprises 18 platforms. Pipes for sensitive sections of the topside equipment were manufactured by the French company BSL Tube & Raccords using Outokumpu’s Ultra stainless steel.
Harsh environment inside and out
The order made by BSL consisted of 408 metric tonnes of Ultra 254 SMO, a grade developed and patented by Outokumpu to tolerate the most corrosive environments, including those presented by crude oil.
This super-austenitic stainless grade alloyed with molybdenum and nitrogen, has an extremely high resistance to both uniform and localized corrosion. It is exactly what was needed at Al Shaheen.
Innovating for the industry
This was far from Outokumpu’s first offshore oil project. In fact, the company has supplied large volumes of the same grade for pipes used on offshore platforms designed for 70-year life spans in the North Sea.
With an extensive list of NORSOK approvals (the Norwegian petroleum industry standard) under its belt, Outokumpu has become a trusted partner in the oil and gas industry as well as a leading innovator of stainless steel grades for a wide range of uses. The company has also committed experts on hand to help customers choose precisely the right grade for every application, even those with the toughest requirements.