OREANDA-NEWS. July 13, 2011. Recently, information comes from Sinopec that Baosteel has won the bid for main branch lines of west-east gas transmission project (west second line) second line, gas pipeline project second standard from Zhongwei to Guiyang and will undertake supply task of more than 50,000 tons of X80 pipeline heavy plates. This is another achievement by Baosteel after being awarded the project first standard last year. It is worth mentioning that the specification species with highest technical difficulty required by the project's first and second standards are exclusively supplied by Baosteel, reported the press-centre of Baosteel.

Gas pipeline project from Zhongwei to Guiyang is one of the main branch lines of China's West-East Gas Transmission Pipeline Project Second Line. The project starts from Zhongwei, Ningxia, goes through Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing and reaches Guiyang, Guizhou, with length of 1636 km and  designed annual gas transmission capacity of 15 billion cubic meters. Construction project started in the second half of last year and is expected to be completed in the first half of next year and to begin work in June.

Pipeline steel required by the project is the X80 steel grade heavy plate variety, with thickness specifications ranging from 15.4 to 22.9 mm. In order to meet construction needs, when the project has not yet started construction, research team composed by the Baosteel Marketing Management Department, Heavy Plate Sales Department, Manufacturing Department, Research Institute, Baosteel International took the initiative  to communicate repeatedly with relevant departments in Sinopec and were informed of engineering information and discussed technical conditions of delivery. With efforts, Baosteel won the first standard of the project in the second half of last year with product supply of more than 30,000 tons.

For product specification above 22.9 mm,Sinopec had strict demand on steel low temperature impact toughness, and asked that it should subject to hammer experimental test. This is rare for pipeline project material in China in the past. According to experts, the thicker the plate is, the more difficult to achieve good low temperature impact toughness. Production difficulty and high risk allow very few domestic steel stable production cases. Thus, team members used Baosteel heavy plate production line equipment advantage, evoked production and technology advantage, did production and test at the same time during project first standard product delivery process and successfully realized variety's mass production and supply stability. Product performance was approved by Sinopec and  a solid foundation for continued cooperation in the second standard was laid. It is reported that Baosteel bid in the second standard includes nearly 20000 tons of this species and it is the first time in mass quantity supply.

Baosteel's twice winning the project bid reflects the company's market competitiveness. It is understood that, in recent years, many domestic steel mills have strong strength in the X80 steel grade production. To enhance competitiveness, led by Baosteel Manufacturing Department, team members do in-depth study and optimization. The cost of production is greatly reduced while the quality remains unchanged, so that Baosteel's products have a price advantage.