API 5L

API 5L is for use in conveying gas, water, and oil in the natural gas and oil industries, and covers seamless and welded steel line pipe.

The API SPEC 5L specification provides standards for pipe suitable for use in conveying gas, water, and oil in the natural gas and oil industries. The API SPEC 5L covers seamless and welded steel line pipe. It includes plain-end, threaded-end, and belled-end pipe, as well as through-the-flowline (TFL) pipe, and pipe with ends prepared for use with special couplings. 

Pipe manufactured to ASTM106 Grade A or B are not interchangable with API 5L. Requirements to API 5L X grades are more stringent; rolled grades are not acceptable and rework is not allowed. Moreover, particular attention is given to toughness and toughness tests for sour services and higher pressure & temperature classes.

Strength Levels & Desulphurization

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%.

API 5L Benefits & Applications

Gas, water and oil transportation - preferred in long pipelines due to inexpensiveness

Pipeline steel - resistance to crack propogation

Line Pipe / Sour Service Line Pipes

Seamless steel pipe api 5l x42

API 5L X42 pipe also called L290 pipe (by ISO 3183), named by minimum yield strength 42100 Psi or 290 Mpa. It’s a higher grade than Grade B where API 5L has various grades up to X100, so x42 pipe is an low-medium level, and it requires large quantities in most of pipelines for oil and gas transmissions.

API 5L X42 Pipe Specification

The pipes ranges in PSL1, PSL2, Sour Services, for onshore and offshore.

API 5L X42 PSL1, in common delivery condition of As Rolled.

API 5L X42N/M/Q, for PSL2 pipe with delivery condition of N, M, and Q.

API 5L X42NS/MS/QS, used for sour services pipelines.

Suffix Letter Means

R: As rolled

N: Normalizing rolled, Normalized formed, Normalized

Q: Tempered and quenched

M: Thermomechanical rolled or thermomechanical formed

S: Sour Service