ABSTRACT

Next decades of the new millennium will be powered by natural gas. New giant gas fields have been discovered in remote regions and are currently planned to be exploited. Long distance transmission pipelines, turning out as competitive and strategic option for “gas to market” onshore gathering lines. High performance materials (X80,X100 pipeline steels), advanced design tools, efficient construction equipments, communication and monitoring technology will back up overall reliability and transport efficiency over the whole operational lifetime Several relevant aspects may affect the optimization of long distance, high capacity gas pipelines built with high grade steels, as EAC (Environmental Assisted Cracking) phenomena and its interaction with mechanical damage and the cathodic protection level applied. This paper presents an outline on TAP Project (Trasporto Alta Pressione)-(High Pressure Transportation) methodology developed to perform Mechanical Damage & (EAC) assessment by means of both laboratory and full scale testing.