Stainless Steel Pipe Supply for a Malaysian Petrochemical Project

In mid-2025, we successfully secured a contract to supply stainless steel piping to a Malaysian EPC contractor. The project involves the expansion of a local integrated refinery and petrochemical complex, specifically an upgrade to the refining and petrochemical facilities owned by PETRONAS.

The project entails demanding petrochemical operating conditions characterized by high corrosion and high pressure. Consequently, it imposes stringent requirements regarding material corrosion resistance, weldability, and quality traceability—particularly given the involvement of "sour service" environments and seawater cooling systems.

📦 Project Product Scope

The supply scope primarily covers three categories of stainless steel and duplex stainless steel piping:

1️⃣ Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipes
ASTM A312 TP316L
Primarily used for general process piping and transport systems handling media with low-to-moderate corrosivity; supplied in the Solution Annealed & Pickled condition to ensure corrosion resistance and surface cleanliness.
ASTM A213 TP304L
Primarily used for heat exchanger tube bundles; requires high dimensional accuracy, superior surface quality, and eddy current testing.

2️⃣ Duplex Stainless Steel Pipes (Core Material)

ASTM A790 UNS S31803 / S32205

This material is primarily used for high-pressure sour service piping systems, offering excellent resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking and pitting corrosion. Technical requirements include:

Compliance with NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156 standards
PREN ≥ 35 (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number)
Ferrite content controlled between 35% and 55%
100% PMI (Positive Material Identification) testing
Full-process heat number traceability

⚙️ Project Technical Requirements

Key aspects of the client's technical specifications include:

✔ Corrosion Resistance Requirements

The process medium contains H₂S (sour gas); therefore, all piping must meet the following:

Suitability for sour service
Resistance to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)

Resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion

✔ Inspection and Acceptance Requirements
100% PMI material testing
100% Hydrostatic testing
UT/RT Non-Destructive Testing (for welded pipe)
Third-party inspection (SGS/BV)

✔ Documentation Requirements
EN 10204 3.1 Material Test Certificate
NACE MR0175 compliance statement
Mechanical properties and chemical composition reports
Full-traceability documentation for melt heat numbers
🛠 Our Solution

To address the project's complex operating conditions and technical requirements, we proposed the following optimized solution:

✔ Material Upgrade Recommendation

For specific areas prone to critical corrosion (originally 316L), we recommended upgrading to:

UNS S32205 Duplex Stainless Steel

Advantages of this solution include:

Superior pitting resistance (significantly higher PREN)
Better suitability for sour service environments
Reduced long-term maintenance and replacement costs

✔ Optimized Delivery Plan

We developed a phased delivery schedule aligned with the construction timeline:

Batch 1: Urgent process piping (30 days)
Batch 2: Heat exchanger system piping (45 days)
Batch 3: High-pressure sour service piping (60 days)

✔ Quality Control System

Strict quality management implemented throughout the entire process:

Raw material heat number traceability
Solution heat treatment process records
In-line UT inspection
Pre-shipment third-party inspection

📊 Project Outcome

Following technical review and commercial negotiation, the project contract was successfully awarded, with a total supply volume of approximately:

Stainless steel and duplex steel piping: 120+ tonnes
Materials included: 304L / 316L / S31803 / S32205
Applications: Oil refining process systems, seawater cooling systems, and sour gas transmission systems.