| ExxonMobil
signs letter of intent with Nippon Steel and Mitsui & Co to commercialise
advanced high-strength steel
Posted: 23 April 2003
HOUSTON — ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
announced it has signed a Letter of Intent with Nippon Steel Corporation
(NSC) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. to commercialise a jointly developed
new steel, which is 20-50 per cent stronger than alternative pipeline
steels in use today.
The agreement includes possible upgrades to an NSC pipe mill. The
formulation for the steel was first developed in ExxonMobil's Corporate
Strategic Research Laboratory and is part of ExxonMobil's continuing
focus on proprietary research and development.
Further work to make commercial production viable occurred jointly
with Nippon Steel Corporation.
One application for the high-strength steel is in natural gas pipelines
that can be constructed over longer distances at lower cost.
The use of natural gas is growing dramatically on a worldwide scale,
and is expected to represent an increasing portion of the total
energy supply, particularly for industrialised nations.
Many gas resources that will be required to accommodate this growing
demand are remote from markets and will require cost-effective,
transportation options before they can be commercialised.
The use of this steel in gas pipelines could substantially improve
the economics of developing many of these resources.
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company is the upstream research unit
of Exxon Mobil Corporation, a leading global oil, natural gas, and
petrochemical company whose subsidiaries have operations in nearly
200 countries and territories.
ExxonMobil leads the industry in several key upstream technologies.
The impact of these technologies is measured by the continued technical
leadership and superior business results of the company. (BUSINESS
WIRE)
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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