Recently, a large-scale offshore oil and gas field development project in China has successfully completed the localization and replacement of key equipment. The API 600 gate valve used in the high-temperature and high-pressure steam pipeline system has passed the continuous working condition assessment and has been recognized by the project party.
The steam temperature of the platform remains high for a long time, accompanied by frequent pressure fluctuations, which imposes strict requirements on the heat resistance and sealing durability of the valves. After multiple rounds of selection and comparison, the project technical team finally decided to choose a cast steel gate valve that meets the API 600 standard. The valve body adopts an integral casting structure, combined with flexible graphite packing and hard alloy overlay sealing surface, which can maintain stable cutting performance under long-term thermal cycling. On site operation and maintenance records show that the batch of gate valves had uniform torque and no jamming during opening and closing operations. There was no visible leakage at the valve stem packing, effectively ensuring the safe gas supply of the steam generation system.
The API 600 standard has clear technical provisions for the wall thickness of gate valves, the strength of valve cover connection bolts, and the sealing test pressure of valve seats, providing a reliable basis for selection under high temperature conditions.
This successful application has accumulated valuable experience for similar offshore projects in the future, and further verified the adaptability of domestic API 600 gate valves in harsh environments. With the acceleration of deepwater oil and gas development in China, the demand for high-temperature and corrosion-resistant gate valves will continue to increase, and products that meet the API 600 standard will become the preferred option for offshore platform steam systems.
