The project was dedicated to disseminating and promoting the knowledge gained in two European Coal and Steel Community-funded projects designed to assess the technical feasibility of the safe use of X100-grade steel large-diameter pipes for future high-pressure long-distance gas transmission pipelines. The specific aim was to support, based upon technical results previously achieved, the increase of the European market share in this specific worldwide business (steel products for the oil and gas industry). Collection and critical analysis of the existing available information and know-how concerning the use of large-diameter X100-grade steel pipes for gas transmission lines has been carried out with the aim of identifying potential benefits in using such a new product and technical gaps still to be addressed, highlighting the good performance of European products with respect to the main technical issues considered. Technical discussions on the various issues have been promoted involving all the relevant players in the international oil and gas industry, that is steel and pipe makers, designers, contractors and end users. Two X100 international forums have been organised with great success, involving attendees from around the world (North America, South America, Japan, etc.), and the results obtained, in terms of disseminating knowledge and promoting European products, have been positive and fully satisfactory. This final report summarises the more relevant technical information collected through the project about the safe use of X100-grade steel large-diameter pipes for gas transmission lines, showing that European products are currently well able to fully satisfy the more stringent technical requirements; at the same time the comparison with other products (such as those from Japan) demonstrates that the market is very active, since they can exhibit comparably good performances. Finally end users are considering more and more challenging projects, for example oil and gas fields further and further away from the market, crossing harsh environments (low temperatures, presence of permafrost, etc.). This means that products' technical requirements are expected to become more demanding in the near future and, as a consequence, European producers will be forced to maintain a high level of quality and innovation to improve their competitiveness.
