ISO Structural Steel Suppliers Must Have Broad Knowledge

Much is required of structural steel, whether it is hidden inside the structure of a building or exposed to the weather. Structural steel suppliers have to have a keen understanding of structural steel coatings, the right tools for applying it, and strong quality control procedures. For example, coating systems used in today's bridges are quite sophisticated, incorporating zinc primers to protect from corrosion, plus top coats to add further protection and give the desired color or finish type.

Structural Steel Fireproofing

Although structural steel isn't combustible, in the event of a fire, sustained high temperatures can seriously damage non-protected steel, which loses about half its load-carrying capacity once temperatures approach 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. Fireproofing encases steel and provides insulation in order to keep steel temperature lower than the temperature that would compromise design strength. Fireproofing products for structural steel are tested in accordance with the ASTM E119 (UL 263) testing standard.

Exploration Pipeline and Corrosion

In the petroleum exploration industry, resistance to corrosion is extremely important. Steel pipe used in exploration pipelines may have one of a variety of protective coatings internally and externally in order to withstand harsh chemical environments and prolong the life of the pipe. Your exploration pipeline supplier should be conversant in the products used in corrosive environments so there are no misunderstandings about your order.

Drag-Reducing Internal Coatings              

The compressor stations along gas pipelines are primarily used to overcome friction between the gas and the wall of the pipeline. But today, internal coating is more widely used, and these coatings are specifically designed to reduce drag and cut the costs due to compressor station operation. These coatings also cut down on compressor station maintenance.

Technical and Logistics Expertise Are Paramount

Not only should your exploration pipeline supplier or supplier of steel for other purposes be well-versed in the technical demands of your industry, they must have the expertise necessary to deliver your products when you want them, even if they must cross international boundaries to get there. With more industries shifting to a "just in time" inventory program, the steel supplier with the logistics and technical expertise is the one to choose.

Welded vs. Seamless API Pipe

API pipe and tubing is mostly used for conveying oil, gas, and water. Tubular products may be welded or seamless, and each type has advantages and disadvantages. Welded tubing starts with a hot or cold rolled coil. Cold-rolled steel provides tighter tolerances and good mechanical properties. The steel coil is cut to precise widths and formed into tubing by forming and welding, and also sizing and cutting processes. Different types of welding may be used, with laser welding having the best reputation for meeting purity requirements.

How Seamless Pipe Is Made

Seamless pipe starts with a metal bar. It is pierced, extruded, or gun-drilled to create pipe. Piercing is used with stainless steel alloys with less than 12% chromium. Extrusion, which forces the bar over a mandrel and through a die is the most common method of making seamless pipe. Gun-drilling is more expensive, but many believe it creates a higher quality pipe. With gun-drilling the bar is fed over a stationary flute drill and is rotated throughout, producing superior straightness and concentricity.

Availability and Cost

API 5L pipe is widely used, and may be either seamless or welded. Seamless API 5L pipe is more expensive. With seamless hot-rolled pipe, the number of available alloys is limited, whereas with welded pipe, a wider variety of materials may be used. There is generally a wider variety of welded pipe readily available, whereas seamless pipe may have to be ordered.

Surface Options

With seamless pipe, surface condition is determined by hot forming. An "orange skin" surface is produced with hot forming, and this texture must be grinded away, raising the cost. Welded pipes may be made from raw materials with many different surface types. Further refinement of the surface of welded pipes may be done with processes like grinding as well.

Tolerances

For hot rolled seamless pipe, wall thickness tolerance is 12.5%, as specified by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). However, with hot rolled seamless pipe, the cross-section may not be perfectly symmetrical. Generally, with steel plate or coil that is even, the seamless or welded pipe created will have consistent tolerance throughout the entire pipe.

The Steel Tubing Distributor and Your Supply Chain

Steel tubing is specified by its outside diameter, unlike steel piping, which is specified by its inside diameter. Steel tubing is used in a huge range of industries, from processing industries, to structural industries and even consumer products. Round and square tubing are used in structural applications, for structures like catwalks and platforms, for transport of liquids or gas, and for products like vehicle exhaust systems.

Process Industries and Steel Tubing Demand

Process industries include pharmaceuticals, biotech, dairy, chemical, food, and beverages. Water treatment facilities are also process facilities that depend on access to a steel tubing distributor for construction, expansion, and repair needs. Stainless steel alloys offer the process industries resistance to corrosion, chemical and thermal stability, and cost effectiveness. The steel distributor plays a critical role in building these industries and keeping them productive.

The Steel Distributor over the Next Five Years

Despite experiencing fluctuations in demand up through 2010 or 2011, steel distribution is expected to see increased demand over the next few years. Sustained construction growth and increased exploration for petroleum products are main contributors to this growth. Revenues in the steel distribution sector are expected to experience annual growth of around 1.8% per year through 2017.

Upstream and Downstream Steel Tubing Demands

Steel tubing demand comes from a variety of upstream and downstream industries, and is affected by rig counts in the oil and gas industries, construction of gas and water transmission lines, and general economic conditions. Suppliers are learning the best ways to replenish inventories, as well as how to make better forecasts of demand so as to meet it without creating huge inventory backlogs.

Factors Affecting Steel Tubing Costs

The costs associated with steel tubing distribution are affected by numerous factors. The cost of the steel itself is influential, as are labor costs and the costs associated with electricity and natural gas used by the steel tubing manufacturing industry. The steel distribution industry is seeing a trend toward just-in-time inventory systems as steel tubing consumers demand this type of inventory method. International markets and import and export competition is also a factor expected to affect steel suppliers over the next decade.

No Room for Errors with Oilfield Drill Pipe

Did you know that nearly 1700 years ago, oil wells of up to 800 feet deep were drilled in China using drill bits attached to bamboo? In the late 16th century, Persian oil wells were dug by hand to depths of up to 115 feet. Drill pipe in one form or another has been around for a very long time. Fortunately, today's drill pipe complies with international standards so that it gets the job done efficiently and maximizes crew safety.

ASTM Standards in the Petroleum Industry

In 1921, ASTM D 86, a method for distilling petroleum products at atmospheric pressure was approved, and this standard became one of the most-used ASTM standards ever. ASTM D 86 is considered one of the fundamental building blocks of standardization in the petroleum industry. ASTM steel pipe used in the petroleum industry has to conform to strict standards as well, preserving standardization and meeting safety and design standards.

ASTM A53 Steel Pipe

Tubing and pipe complying with ASTM A53 are used in oil and gas drilling. ASTM steel pipe is used in all aspects of the petroleum industry, including exploration drilling, oil production, and transport of gas, oil, water, and natural gas in numerous challenging environments. As drilling operations become more remote, ASTM pipe assures project managers that their steel pipe will stand up to whatever Mother Nature dishes out.

What Drill Pipe Does

Drill pipe is tubular steel conduit. The ends of drill pipe are outfitted with distinct threaded ends that are called tool joints. Drill pipe is what connects the surface equipment of a drilling rig to the bottomhole assembly and the drilling bit. Drill pipe pumps drilling fluid to the bit, and is used to raise, lower, or rotate the bit and bottomhole assembly.

You and Your Oilfield Drill Pipe Supplier

You don't have time to educate your steel pipe supplier on what you need and why you need it. Choose an oilfield drill pipe supplier that is conversant in ASTM standards and that has both the mill network and worldwide transport network to deliver your products to you on time.

Steel Pipe Supplier Is Critical in Numerous Industries

Steel pipe is most commonly associated with the petroleum industry. Drill pipe assemblies use steel pipe, and once the production phase of an oil or gas project is underway, pipeline supplied by a steel pipe supplier is used to transport the product to refineries. Success of petroleum drilling and transport projects depends heavily on the quality of the products made by the steel tubing manufacturer.

Oil and Gas Transport

Oil and gas transport and steel pipe have long been closely associated. Pipelines require significant up-front investment, but when petroleum products have to travel long distances over the long term, pipeline transport is the best type of transport. While rail or truck transport works well over shorter distances, and can be used while a pipeline is under construction, pipeline transport is the gold standard for long term, long distance transportation of petroleum products.

Infrastructure

Bridges, runways, seawalls, and highways are just some of the infrastructure projects that depend on steel tubing manufacturers to come through with products that meet standards and arrive on time. Structural steel, steel pipe, or both are widely used in infrastructure projects. Suppliers of these products must have knowledge of how infrastructure is built, and they must have the transportation and logistics in place to meet demand and schedule.

Commercial and Industrial Development

Structural steel used in commercial construction comes in a range of sizes and cross sections. Architects and contractors depend upon structural steel for skyscrapers, parking garages, manufacturing plants, and other industrial applications due to structural steel's safety, strength, and versatility. If you're in charge of a development project, you don't have time to educate your steel supplier on what cross sections you need, or which standards it must conform to. That's why it's always best to trust experienced structural steel suppliers.

Food Services

Demand for steel pipe is high in the food services sector. Whether it transports waste or finished products, steel tubing in the food industry has to withstand difficult environments and resist corrosion while safely handling food products. Does your steel pipe supplier have a commitment to on-time delivery, high quality, and worker safety? Don't settle for less.

Where Should You Turn for API Drill Pipe or OCTG Products?

If your project involves down-the-hole (DTH) drilling, your tubing and API drill pipe cannot let you down, regardless of what you are drilling through, what type of rig you're using, and how deeply you need to drill. Your tubing must be uncompromising on durability, measurements and threads must be accurate, and getting the pipe you need delivered to your location must be a given.

Dedication to Quality from Mill to Jobsite

Whether you need hot-rolled tubing, cold drawn tubing or any other type of structural or transport tubing, your provider should be committed to quality and have quality assurance procedures from the mill to the point of delivery. Today's OCTG line pipe has to make it to increasingly remote jobsites, and you definitely don't want to have to send it back due to quality issues.

End Pieces that Won't Let You Down

Weak links are unacceptable for your OCTG products. Whatever type of end you require for your pipe, your provider should have it ready to go when you need it. The joints between the tubing and the end pieces are vulnerable points, and you need assurance that your steel pipe supplier heat-treats end pieces and sees to the quality of the threading on pipes so that you get optimum performance, with no question.

Quality Threading for Long Life

Correct threading is absolutely essential to the success of your drilling project. You need to be able to fit tubing together at the correct angle, get a tight fit, and be able to disconnect later when you want to reuse the tubing. When threads are not properly added, the result is frustration and possible safety hazards. Does your OCTG line pipe and drill pipe provider understand the importance of quality threading?

Logistics and Distribution that Won't Shy Away from Tough Jobs

The highest quality tubing in the world isn't useful if your supplier can't get it to you. Top suppliers have logistics engineers on staff and are prepared to deal with all methods of transport including Customs requirements in order to get your products to your jobsite exactly when you need them.

ASME Structural Steel: The Backbone of the World's Infrastructure

ASME Structural steel is used in construction in the form of I-beams, T-beams, and H-beams. Such beams are typically used as load bearing structural members in the framework of buildings. Structural steel is also the type of steel that is used to construct oil drilling rigs as well as civil construction projects and is manufactured in compliance with strict international standards and specifications covering chemical composition and strength.

Supplying the Structural Steel Industry Relies Upon

You steel supplier should be able to supply structural steel products with special cross sections or angles. Generally these are hot-rolled products that are riveted, welded, or bolted into place during the construction of buildings, bridges, highways, airports, harbor berths, seawalls, offshore platforms, or other types of structures. It is best to choose a supplier with ISO 9001 certification for distribution and trading of these products.

APILine Pipe and Petroleum

Line pipe is most closely associated with the oil and gas industries. It may be used for drilling, distribution, or other petroleum applications. With API-certified line pipe, you get high-strength steel that has undergone quenching and tempering to yield outstanding microstructure properties for even the most demanding environments. It has been used successfully on the north slope of Alaska and is designed to perform well in other extreme conditions too.

API Line Pipe and Water Transport

Water transport is another sector where API-rated line pipe is commonly used. Made from high strength carbon steel, this line pipe is available in diameters from two inches to 48 inches. It may be welded or seamless and must be able to withstand high pressures. Before it can be shipped to users, line pipe has to be tested to ensure it complies with steel chemistry strength and dimension specifications for reliable and safe pipeline transport.

One Supplier, Fewer Hassles

The construction of an oil rig, bridge, or airport requires numerous types of structural steel and piping. When you have one supplier that can be relied upon to provide structural steel, line pipe, oil country tubular goods, and other steel products, you have an easier time keeping your project on schedule and within budget.