API 5L Standard Scope
API 5L is the standard specification for the samless and welded steel pipes for use in pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industries. It includes the requirements for the manufacture of two product specification level (PSL1 and PSL2) API 5L is not applicable to cast pipe.
- Grades: API 5L Grade B, X42, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70, X80
- Product Specification Level: PSL1, PSL2, onshore and offshore sour services
- Outer Diameter Range: 1/2” to 2”, 3”, 4”, 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, 16 inch, 18 inch, 20 inch, 24 inch up to 40 inch.
- Thickness Schedule: SCH 10. SCH 20, SCH 40, SCH STD, SCH 80, SCH XS, to SCH 160
API 5L tubing generally refers to pipeline--API 5L line pipe, line pipe is a ground spare oil, steam, water, transported by pipeline to the oil and gas industry pipeline include seamless and welded steel tubes, the tube end is flat, threaded and socket ends its connection for welding, collar connections, socket connections, and so on.
API 5L Pipe comes in Seamless and Welded steel line pipe for pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industries. API 5L Pipe is suitable for conveying gas, water, and oil.
The two digit number following the "X" indicates the Minimum Yield Strength (in 000's psi) of pipe produced to this grade.
Manganese sulphides are typical inclusions in all manganese alloyed steels. Because they tend to segregate resulting in reduced impact strength, sulphure content needs to be minimized. We specify maximum 0.007%.
What is Line Pipe?
Line pipe is a type of pipe that is manufactured from high strength carbon steel. It is typically made according to metallurgical specifications that were developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Line pipe can be used to build pipelines that transport a variety of resources including natural gas, oil, petroleum, and water. This pipe is available in a variety of diameters ranging from 2 inches to 48 inches. Line pipe can include either seamless or welded carbon steel or stainless steel piping. Because line pipe needs to withstand high pressures, there are important tests done on line pipe to ensure it meets all of the requirements of steel chemistry, strength, toughness, and dimensional characteristics. Using line pipe that meets the set criteria will ensure safe and reliable pipeline service.
The order is: after the oil well is laid, the casing is placed, the casing and the well wall are sealed with cement, and the oil pipe is placed in the casing. The oil pipe is equipped with a downhole tool such as an oil packer and a pump. The sucker rod is inserted into the oil pipe, and the sucker rod pulls the piston of the pump to reciprocate up and down. In this way, the oil is pumped to the ground.
Casing Pipe
API 5CT casing pipe is used to support the oil and gas pipe wall, and to ensure the drilling process and the post-completion wells normal operation. Each well depending on the depth of drilling and geological conditions, to use several layers of casing. After cementing casing to be used to go down, it different from tubing, drill pipe and can not be reused, a one-time consumable materials. Therefore, the casing consumption accounts for over 70% of all the oil well pipe. According by usage can be divided into the sleeve pipe, surface casing, casing and production casing.
OCTG Tubing Pipe
Oil country tubular goods (OCTG) is a family of seamless rolled products consisting of drill pipe, casing and tubing subjected to loading conditions according to their specific application.
OCTG Tubing pipe goes inside the casing pipe because it is the pipe through which oil makes its way out. Tubing is the simplest part of OCTG and it is normally found in the segment of 30 ft (9 m), with threaded connection at both ends. The pipe is either used to transport natural gas or crude oil from the producing formation to the facilities where it will be processed after drilling is complete.
Tubing (pumping pipe) goes inside the casing because it is the pipe through which oil makes its way out. Pipe of production is the simple part of OCTG and it is normally found in the segment of 30 ft (9 m), with threaded connection at both ends. The pipe is either used to transport natural gas or crude oil from the producing formation to the facilities where it will be processed after drilling is complete.
The requirements that define different levels of standard technical requirements for PSL-2 and PSL-3, for all Grades except H-40, L-80 9Cr and C110, are contained in Annex H.
Peotroleum and natureal gas industies – Steel pipes for use as casing or tubing for wells.
Application: gas, water and oil transportation in both oil and natural gas .
The main steel grade of API 5CT:
- API 5CT J55, API 5CT K55, API 5CT N80, API 5CT L80, API 5CT P110.
Packing: Bare/bundles/crates/crate protection at the both sides of tubes or as per customers’ requirements .
This International Standard is applicable to the following connections in accordance with ISO 10422 or API Spec 5B:
- short round thread casing (STC);
- long round thread casing (LC);
- buttress thread casing (BC);
- extreme-line casing (XC);
- non-upset tubing (NU);
- external upset tubing (EU);
- integral joint tubing (IJ).
For such connections, this International Standard specifies the technical delivery conditions for couplings and thread protection.
For pipes covered by this International Standard, the sizes, masses, wall thicknesses, grades and applicable end finishes are defined.
This International Standard may also be applied to tubulars with connections not covered by ISO/API standards.
API Spec 5CT standard replaced by:
- API Spec 5CT – Specification 5CT/ISO 11960, Specification for Casing and Tubing, Eighth Edition, Petroleum and natural gas industries-Steel pipes for use as casing or tubing for wells
This product references:
- API Spec 5B – Specification for Threading, Gauging, and Thread Inspection of Casing, Tubing, and Line Pipe Threads (US Customary Units) (Includes March 2004 Addendum)
- ISO 10422:1993 – Petroleum and natural gas-industries; threading, gauging, and thread inspection of casing, tubing and line pipe threads; specification
API 5CT is applicable to following connections which complied with API SPEC 5B:
- SC: Short round thread casing
- LC: Long ound thread casing
- BC: Buttress thread casing
- NU: Non-upset tubing
- EU: External upset tubing
- IJ: Integral tubing connections
This product replaces:
- API 5CT – Specification for Casing and Tubing (U.S. Customary Units)
- ISO 11960 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 67, Materials, equipment and offshore structures for petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries, Subcommittee SC 5, Casing, tubing and drill pipe.
Products ends
Flat-end pipe
Flat end pipe is a pipe supplied with unmachined threads, and It may upset or not , but it shall comply with all requirements of a specific steel grade in this standard.
Product with API Threads
Steel grade H40, J55, K55 or M65 casings are available in short or long threads. However, if the purchaser requests a long threaded casing, it should be specified on the order.
Rounded Nose
The “round” or “bullet-nose” type of pipe end may be provided by the manufacturer or specified by the purchaser to replace the conventional corner breaks on the threaded ends of external upset tubing. The improved end should be rounded so that the coating is applied and the inner and outer surfaces are rounded and smooth, without sharp corners, burrs.
Threading
Product threading, gauging practice and thread inspection shall be in accordance with API Spec 5B. The product end shall not be hammered, but may be slightly shaped to meet the requirements of thread machining. For steel grades of C90 and higher strength, such forming shall only be carried out with the consent of the purchaser.
Workmanship of ends
All product ends shall be free of burrs on the inside and outside edges. And sand blasting shall be applied to both male and female threads of C110 steel grade.
Difference Between PSL1 And PSL2 Pipe
The purpose of this specification is to provide standards for pipe suitable for use in conveying gas, water, and oil in both the oil and natural gas industries. Ferropipe applies this specification to both seamless and welded steel line pipe. Ferropipe supplies pipe with plain-ends, with ends suitable for threading as well as pipe with ends prepared for use with special couplings.
The American Petroleum Institute specification API 5L addresses seamless and welded steel line pipe for pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industries. API 5L is suitable for conveying gas, water, and oil.
Specifications for API 5L adhere to the International Organization for Standardization ISO 3183, standardizing pipeline transportation systems within the materials, equipment and offshore structures for natural gas, petroleum, and petrochemical industries.
Product Specification Level (PSL) AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE has further divided the grades in accordance with the Product Specifications Levels (PSL) of technical requirements and therefore developed PSL 1 and PSL 2. Requirements that apply to only PSL 1 or only PSL 2 are designated. Whereas Requirements that are not designated to a specific PSL apply to both PSL 1 and PSL 2.
- PSL 1 is a standard quality for line pipe, These line pipe can be supplied in Grades A25 through X70.
- PSL 2 contains additional chemical, mechanical properties, and testing requirements, PSL 2 has mandatory requirements for carbon equivalent, notch toughness, maximum yield strength, and maximum tensile strength. These and other differences are summarized in Appendix J. These line pipe can be supplied in Grades B through X80.
Pipe manufactured as Grade X60 or higher shall not be substituted for pipe ordered as Grade X52 or lower without purchaser approval. followed by the first two digits of the specified minimum yield strength in U.S. Customary units.
An API 5L line pipes manufactured in two varieties PSL 1 and PSL 2. But what is PSL? PSL stands for Product Specification Levels. PSL stands for Product Specification Levels.
Pipes are used in different type of environment such as corrosive and non-corrosive. Pipes used in severe corrosive environment required material that can withstand such process condition. On other hands for normal services, a standard quality level pipe will also serve the purpose.
The difference between PSL1 And PSL2 pipes - Chemical properties
| PARAMETER | PSL1 | PSL2 |
| Chemistry: Max C for Seamless pipe | 0.28% for grades ≥ B | 0.0024 |
| Chemistry: Max C for Welded pipe | 0.26% for grades ≥ B | 0.0022 |
| Chemistry: Max P | 0.03% for grades ≥ A | 0.0003 |
| Chemistry: Max S | 0.0003 | 0.0002 |
| Carbon equivalent: | Only when purchaser specifies SR18 | Maximum required for each grade |
Three elements change when requirements change from PSL1 to PSL2.
First Is Carbon.
Maximum Carbon for Seamless PSL1 pipe is 0.28% for the grade B & higher. For all grades of PSL2 pipes maximum carbon is 0.24%.
Similarly, for welded PSL1 pipe Maximum Carbon is 0.26% for the grade B & higher. For all grades of PSL2 welded pipes maximum carbon is 0.22%.
The Second Element Is Phosphorus.
For PSL1 pipe, Maximum Phosphorus is 0.03% for the grade A & higher. For all grades of PSL2 pipes, maximum Phosphorus is 0.03%. So, the only difference is a grade lower than A.
The Third Element Is Sulphur.
For PSL1 pipe, Maximum Sulphur is 0.03%. For PSL2 pipes maximum Sulphur is 0.02%.
Other than these three elements, for PSL2 pipe meeting, the Carbon equivalent is mandatory whereas for PSL1 pipe it is only required if the purchaser has specified SR18. SR18 means Supplementary Requirement No.18.
The difference between PSL1 & PSL2 pipes - Mechanical properties
| PARAMETER | PSL1 | PSL2 |
| Yield strength, maximum | None | Maximum for each grade |
| UTS (Ultimate Tensile Strength) maximum | None | Maximum for each grade |
| Fracture toughness | None required | Required for all grades |
For PSL2 pipe there is a limit on Maximum Yield & Ultimate Tensile Strength whereas for PSL1 pipe meeting the minimum requirements are sufficient. The second requirement that is mandatory for PSL2 pipe is Fracture toughness which is not required for the PSL1 pipe.
The difference between PSL1 & PSL2 pipes - Manufacturing
| PARAMETER | PSL1 | PSL2 |
| Grade Range | A25 through X70 | B through X80 |
| Size range | 0.405″ through 80″ | 4.5″ through 80″ |
| Type of ends | Plain end, Threaded end,Bevelled end special coupling pipes | Plain end |
| Seam welding | All methods: continuous welding limited to A25 | All methods: except continuous welding and laser welding |
| Electric welds: welder frequency | No minimum | kHz minimum 100 |
| Heat treatment of electric welds | Required for grades >X42 | Required for all grades (B through X80) |
Here in this table, ou can see the differences between PSL1 & PSL2 Pipes Manufacturing. PLS1 pipes are available in grade A25 through X70 whereas PSL2 pipes are available in Grade B through X80.
PSL1 pipes are available through size 0.405” to 80” whereas smallest diameter pipe available in PSL2 is 4.5” and the largest diameter is 80”.
PSL1 pipes are available in different types of end such as Plain end, Threaded end, Bevelled end, special coupling pipes whereas PSL2 pipes are available in only Plain End.
All kinds of welding method are acceptable to manufacture PSL1; however, continuous welding is limited to Garde A25. For PSL2 welded pipes, except continuous welding and laser welding, all other welding methods are acceptable.
For electric weld welder frequency for PSL2 pipe is minimum 100kHz whereas there is no such limitation on the PLS1 pipe. Heat treatment of electric welds is required for all Grades of PSL2 pipes whereas for PSL1 pipe, it is required for grades higher than X42.
Inspection And Defect Repair
| PARAMETER | PSL1 | PSL2 |
| Non-destructive inspection of Seamless | Only when purchaser specifies SR4 | SR4 mandatory |
| Repair by welding of pipe body plate, and skelp | Permitted | Prohibited |
| Repair by welding of weld seams without filler metal | Permitted by agreement | Prohibited |
Non-destructive inspection of a seamless pipe is mandatory for PSL2 pipe whereas for PLS1 pipe it is supplementary requirements.
Repair of pipe body plate and skelp by welding is not allowed in PSL2 pipes whereas it is allowed in PSL1 pipes. Similarly, weld repair without filler metal is not allowed in PSL2 pipes whereas it is allowed with purchaser's permission in PSL1 pipes.
Certification & Traceability
| PARAMETER | PSL1 | PSL2 |
| Certification | Traceable only until all tests are passed | Certificates (SR15.1) mandatory |
| Traceability | Traceable only until all tests are passed unless SR15 is specified | Traceable after completion of tests (SR15.2) mandatory |
For PSL1 pipes, Traceability & Certification is not required beyond the point it passes all the required test whereas, for PSL2 pipes, Traceability & Certification is mandatory. This is all about the difference between PSL1 and PSL2 pipes. In short PSL1 pipes are standard quality pipe for normal services and PSL2 pipes are higher quality pipe than PSL1.
Grades
The grades covered by this specification are the standard Grades A25, A, B, X42, X46, X52, X56, X60, X65, X70 and X80; and any intermediate grades (grades that are higher than X42, intermediate to two sequential standard grades, and agreed upon by the purchaser and manufacturer). PSL I pipe can be supplied in Grades A25 through X70. PSL 2 pipe can be supplied in Grades B through X80. Class II (CI II) steel is rephosphorized and probably has better threading properties than Class I (CI l). Because Class II (CI II) has higher phosphorus content than Class I (CI l), it may be somewhat more difficult to bend. Pipe manufactured as Grade X60 or higher shall not be substituted for pipe ordered as Grade X52 or lower without purchaser approval.
Pipe manufactured to ASTM106 Grade A or B are not interchangeable with API 5L. API 5l X grades have a more specific requirement as compared to API 5L. Rolled raw materials; weld repairs etc are not allowed due to high yield requirements. Apart from these general requirements, HIC, SOUR NACE compliance is a must due to combination of High Pressure and High temperature applications with toughness requirements.
Dimensions
The sizes used herein are dimensionless designations, which are derived from the specified outside diameter as measured in U.S. Customary units, and provide a convenient method of referencing pipe size within the text and tables (but not for order descriptions). Pipe sizes 23/8 and larger are expressed as integers and fractions; pipe sizes smaller than 23/8 are expressed to three decimal places. These sizes replace the “size designation” and the “nominal size designation” used in the previous edition of this specification. Users of this specification who are accustomed to specifying nominal sizes rather than 00 sizes are advised to familiarize themselves with these new size designations used in this specification, especially the usage in Tables 4, 5, and 6A.
PSL I pipe can be supplied in sizes ranging from 0.405 through 80. PSL 2 pipe can be supplied in sizes ranging from 4’/2 through 80. Dimensional requirements on threads and thread gages, stipulations on gagging practice, gage specifications and certification, as well as instruments and methods for inspection of threads are given in API Standard 5B and are applicable to threaded products covered by this specification. It includes plain-end, threaded-end, and belled-end pipe, as well as through-the-flow line (TFL) pipe, and pipe with ends prepared for use with special couplings.
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