ADNOC UAE X60MS Sour Service Project

Project Background

As part of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) ambitious P5 production expansion plan, the AiP5 Project was launched to upgrade onshore facilities at the massive Bab and Buhasa oilfields. Executed by CPP, this landmark initiative aims to safely boost the UAE’s crude oil output capacity to 5 million barrels per day (bpd). Because the transport fluids in these mature fields contain substantial concentrations of hydrogen sulfide ( H₂S), the gathering pipeline infrastructure demanded top-tier Sour Service line pipes. Allland Pipe was selected to manufacture and supply the high-specification API 5L X60MS PSL2 LSAW steel pipes required for this critical energy expansion.

Client Challenge

• Extreme Sour Service Requirements (Annex H): Wet H₂S environments trigger Hydrogen-Induced Cracking (HIC) and Sulfide Stress Cracking (SSC). The line pipes had to comply strictly with API 5L Annex H and NACE MR0175, requiring ultra-clean steel plates with strict limits on sulfur and phosphorus content.
• Flawless Mechanical and Weld Integrity: The specifications required the LSAW pipes (Φ508mm with a heavy 15.88mm wall) to maintain precise yield-to-tensile ratios, excellent low-temperature impact toughness, and perfect weld seam hardness consistency under continuous automated field welding.
• Rigorous International Inspection Standards: Operating under the joint supervision of CPP and ADNOC’s strict quality assurance teams meant that every pipe needed to pass rigorous non-destructive and destructive testing regimes before shipment clearance.

Our Solution and Results

• Advanced Material & Processing Control: Allland Pipe utilized premium, calcium-treated, thermomechanically rolled (M) plates designed specifically for sour environments. Our LSAW production lines formed and welded the 508mm pipes under strict heat-input controls to prevent localized hardening in the heat-affected zone (HAZ).
• Comprehensive HIC & SSC Testing: Beyond standard tensile and bend tests, Allland conducted mandatory long-duration HIC and SSC laboratory tests in accordance with NACE standards to prove the material’s resistance to hydrogen blistering. This was paired with 100% full-body Ultrasonic Testing (UT) and high-pressure hydrostatic verification.
• End Protection & Premium Marking: To preserve the precision-machined bevels during maritime transit to Abu Dhabi, each pipe was fitted with heavy-duty blue end caps and detailed stencil markings tracking the heat number and PSL2 Annex H sour service status.

Project Outcomes

The timely supply of Allland’s API 5L X60MS PSL2 line pipes successfully supported CPP’s rapid pipeline installation phase at the Bab and Buhasa fields. By meeting ADNOC’s highly rigorous sour-service criteria, our engineering solutions have helped pave the way for secure, long-term infrastructure capable of handling high-H₂S crude transport. This project marks a significant milestone for Allland Pipe, demonstrating our technical capability to compete at the highest level of the Middle Eastern upstream oil and gas sector.