Midstream operators in North America and the Middle East are investing heavily in new steel pipe assets subjected to advanced ultrasonic testing (UT) protocols. These steel pipe sections-sourced to API 5L X70 and higher grades-undergo full‑length UT scans to detect microscopic flaws before deployment, ensuring integrity under high‑pressure crude and gas transport. UT‑verified steel pipe segments have become a procurement standard, reducing the risk of in‑service failures.
Canada's TransMountain expansion project calls for over 300 km of 48‑inch steel pipe, each length UT‑cleared and mill‑marked with traceability codes. The steel pipe is internally epoxy coated and externally fusion‑bonded epoxy coated to resist sour service and environmental corrosion. Inspectors report UT coverage rates exceeding 95% of the pipe body, exceeding regulatory requirements.
In the Gulf region, Saudi Aramco recently concluded a tender for 60 km of sour service steel pipe for a new refinery off‑take line. The selected steel pipe material-X80 grade-leverages high‑frequency UT, magnetic particle inspection, and radiographic testing for girth welds, ensuring zero on‑shore weld failures during hydrotest operations.
European gas network operators are similarly renewing aging assets. The North Sea Link interconnector uses subsea steel pipe with UT‑verified longitudinal welds, allowing operation at 200 bar. These steel pipe sections are double‑jointed with corrosion‑inhibited annuli, exemplifying how UT‑certified material underpins high‑integrity flow assurance.
As energy transportation demands grow, the role of fully tested, high‑grade steel pipe in midstream infrastructure will continue to expand, with UT technologies enabling safer and more reliable operations worldwide.
