Project Snapshot

Before diving into the narrative, here are the critical statistics of this rescue mission:

  • Location: Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan
  • Project Type: National Gas Transmission Mainline Maintenance
  • Product:​API 5L PSL2 X60 LSAW Steel Pipe
  • Dimensions:
    • Outer Diameter: 36 inch (914mm) & 28 inch (711mm)
    • Wall Thickness: 14.3mm & 11.9mm
  • Total Tonnage: 800 Tons
  • Lead Time:7 Days (From Order to Train Departure)

Introduction

The transnational natural gas pipelines traversing Central Asia are more than just steel tubes; they are energy arteries powering economies. When a section of a 36-inch mainline in Turkmenistan flagged critical integrity issues during a pre-winter inspection, the clock started ticking.

The client immediately hit a wall in the global supply chain. While the market was flooded with small-diameter seamless inventory, there was a severe shortage of Large Diameter High-Pressure Pipe. Finding 800 tons of specific API 5L X60 LSAW pipes ready for immediate shipment seemed impossible.

This case study documents how Allland leveraged its position as a specialized large diameter steel pipe manufacturer to solve this crisis. By mobilizing our strategic JCOE pipe stock and implementing an ingenious railway logistics plan, we turned a potential 60-day manufacturing delay into a 7-day delivery success.

Winter is Coming

It was mid-October, and the harsh Central Asian winter was approaching fast. The client, a major EPC contractor operating in Turkmenabat, detected stress corrosion cracking in a critical section of their gas transmission network.

The Procurement Gap

The engineering team mandated an immediate replacement. The requirement was strict: API 5L X60 PSL2 LSAW pipe, OD 914mm (36 inches).

However, the procurement team quickly realized the market reality:

  1. Stockists: Most stockists only hold seamless pipes up to 24 inches. They rarely keep capital-intensive large-diameter LSAW pipes in stock.
  2. Manufacturers: Ordering fresh production from a mill typically requires a lead time of 45 to 60 days for raw material procurement (steel plates) and JCOE forming.

The client could not afford a 60-day wait. With temperatures dropping, they needed the pipes on-site within weeks to complete welding before the ground froze. They needed a partner who was not just a trader, but a manufacturer with deep reserves.

Solution

This is where Allland’s market positioning made the difference. Unlike general steel suppliers, Allland is a specialist in Large Diameter LSAW/SSAW solutions.

1. Strategic Inventory vs. Standard Stock

We understand that in the energy sector, “big pipe” emergencies happen. Therefore, we maintain a Strategic Stock of bare pipes ranging from 20 inches to 56 inches at our facility. These are not random leftovers; they are planned reserves of high-grade API 5L X60 and X70 pipes, kept specifically for mainline rescue scenarios.

The Action:

While other suppliers were frantically calling mills to check production schedules, Allland’s team checked our live inventory system. Within 2 hours, we identified and locked 800 tons of 36″ and 28″ JCOE pipe stock that perfectly matched the client’s pressure rating requirements.

2. In-House Customization (Re-Beveling)

Availability was step one. Usability was step two.

The pipes in our stock had standard 30-degree bevels. However, the client’s on-site automatic welding system required a specific compound bevel angle to ensure speed and quality in the field.

Because Allland is a manufacturer with a fully equipped finishing workshop, this was not an obstacle. We immediately moved the 800 tons of pipe to our machining line.

  • Day 1-3: Ultrasonic testing re-verification to ensure zero defects after storage.
  • Day 4-6:​Re-beveling pipe ends to the client’s exact welding procedure specification (WPS).
  • Day 7: Final inspection and coating repair.

This speed is impossible for a trading company that would have to hire a third-party workshop to modify the pipes.

Logistics

Solving the supply issue created a new problem: Logistics.

Shipping 800 tons of large-diameter pipe to Turkmenistan via railway (the only viable option for this landlocked region) is notoriously difficult and expensive.

The Challenge: “Light & Bulky”

36-inch steel pipes are “light cargo” in terms of density but “bulky” in volume.

  • A standard railway wagon has a weight capacity of 60 tons.
  • However, if loaded normally, a wagon fills up by volume with only 25 tons of 36″ pipe.
  • The Consequence: The client would be paying for “dead air.” The freight cost would be astronomical.

The Solution: The “Nesting” Technique

To save the client’s budget, Allland’s logistics engineering team proposed a Nesting (Pipe-in-Pipe) solution.

The Math:

We proposed supplying the 28″ pipes (also needed for a secondary line) simultaneously. We inserted the 28″ pipes inside the 36″ pipes.

  • Before Nesting: We needed approx. 32 wagons.
  • After Nesting: We condensed the load into 22 wagons.
  • Result: A 30% reduction in total railway freight costs, saving the client over $45,000 USD.

Preserving Ovality: The Anti-Deformation Strategy

The biggest risk in railway shipping large OD pipe is deformation. The constant vibration over thousands of kilometers can cause the bottom pipes to lose their roundness (increase ovality), making field alignment impossible.

Allland implemented a military-grade loading protocol:

  1. Separation: We used specialized rubber-lined steel spacers between the nested pipes to prevent steel-on-steel friction and coating damage.
  2. Dunnage: Instead of standard timber, we used contoured “saddles” made of compressed straw and wood. These saddles cradle the pipe, increasing the contact area and distributing the weight evenly to prevent the pipe from becoming oval.
  3. Strapping: High-tension steel strapping was applied in a specific geometric pattern to unitize the bundle, ensuring the pipes moved as a single block rather than rolling individually.

Conclusion

In the world of large-diameter pipeline construction, production capacity is standard, but inventory depth is the true differentiator.This project in Turkmenistan proved that Allland is more than just a factory; we are a rapid-response partner for critical infrastructure. By combining our status as a large diameter steel pipe manufacturer with a massive strategic stock of API 5L X60 LSAW pipe, we provided a solution that traders could not offer and mills could not deliver in time.