JFE Steel Corporation, in cooperation with Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc., has received an order for approximately 150,000 tons of DNV-grade-450 UOE line pipe for the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project in Western Australia.
Wheatstone is one of Australia’s largest resource projects and involves the construction of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains and a domestic gas plant 12 km west of Onslow on the Pilbara coast. Gas will be transported via a pipeline from an offshore processing platform 225 km off the coast to the onshore facilities. First LNG shipments are planned for 2016.
JFE Steel’s UOE pipes will be used for the 225 km pipeline to transport natural gas to the LNG plant at Ashburton North. Pipes with a 44-inch outer diameter will be shipped from January 2012.
The development of LNG is on upward trend worldwide due to increasing demand for energy resources.
Previously, JFE Steel have supplied high-end pipe for numerous pipeline projects worldwide over many years, leveraging JFE Steel’s proven technology for manufacturing cutting-edge pipe offering reliability and high-quality, and Marubeni-Itochu Steel’s extensive trading experience in the pipeline business as well.
Going forward, JFE Steel expect to continue supplying high-performance, high-quality steel pipe and other steel products for resource and energy development worldwide.
High-strength steel pipe used for undersea pipelines to transport oil, natural gas, etc. over long distances. DNV is a standard set by the Norwegian ship classification society; DNV 450 indicates 450 MPa of yield strength.
The Wheatstone Project is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, Apache, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, Shell and Kyushu Electric Power Company. The foundation project will consist of two liquefied natural gas trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million tonne per annum and a domestic gas plant.
[mappress] Source: JFE Steel, April 16, 2012