API is short for American Petroleum Institute which is a trade association. It established series of standards to insure the quality of the petroleum and the related equipments and products. The steel pipe is much easier to understand its definition from the literal meaning. It is the pipe which is used to transfer the water, gas or petroleum. When the steel pipes are used to transport the petroleum, the installers need to allow for the standards issued by API.
API 5l steel pipe is designed with the standardized diameters and wall thickness. API needs to play its role in governing the development of petroleum industry in America, so it is its duty to make the regulations which should be followed to insure the security and property. According to the regulations, the diameter of the API steel pipe should be thicker than 0.375 inches. While the diameter should be larger than 14 inches.
It is easy to understand that the API steel pipes are designed with high quality since they are used to transport the gas and oil which are hazardous and flammable. The qualification of these pipes needs to be tested by specific engineer and the unqualified pipes would have to be abandoned. It is the manufacturers' responsibility to inspect the quality and the customers should check the quality again to attain a better option.
The price of API steel pipe would not be too expensive while considering its excellent performance. Some suppliers have opened their business on eBay or Alibaba, and with the price comparison system, you could have an overview about the price. At the same time, in order to offer better service, some suppliers have founded their own website to attract the visitors. Generally, the suppliers endowed with exclusive sites are considered to be more qualified.
As the best supplier in China, we could offer you the nicer and cheaper steel pipes. With the advanced technology and equipment, we have improved the quality of the API steel pipe and reduced the expense during the production process.