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The growth of petroleum distribution systems has always been closely associated with the development of microalloyed steel grades having high strength, toughness, and weldability. In many ways, the research in microalloyed steel drew impetus from the huge demands of such steels from the petroleum pipeline projects. The article reviews the evolution and trends in steel for petroleum pipelines, the manufacturing processes, metallurgy and quality management aspects, research, and frontiers, followed by the corresponding Indian scenario. The first specification for steel for pipelines introduced by the American Petroleum Institute (API) in 1948 was X 42 with yield strength of 42 ksi or 290 MPa. The strength levels underwent large scale changes over the decades, and at present X 80 is commonplace, while X 100 and X 120 are in sight. The advantage of the relatively recent high temperature process (HTP) for producing higher grades of line pipe steel under the Indian context is discussed. The necessity of incorporating facilities for producing high-strength line pipe steels in up-coming steel plants has been briefly dealt with. With increasing strength levels in line pipe steels and higher operating pressures coming into vogue, line pipe steel emerges as a subject of fresh research, innovation, and area of specialization.
Ananya Das (2010) studied this question.