SABIC | interview
A major player in the plastic pipe sector, SABIC is now turning its attention to the steel pipe coating industry with a fully tested system solution. SABIC Global Marketing Manager Pipe & Utilities Hans Pierik explains why
SABIC targets pipe coating
The low oil prices of the past couple of years have had a negative impact on new oil & gas industry projects, with a consequent slowing of demand for new pipelines. It certainly does not seem an optimum time to enter the steel pipe coating market. But that is what SABIC is doing with a new fully qualified 3LPE system based on its own Vestolen HDPE know- how and adhesive technology from Arkema. SABIC Global Marketing Manager Pipe & Utilities Hans Pierik explains the company’s strategy and what he believes it can offer to steel pipe coaters to Pipeline Coating magazine editor Chris Smith. Pipeline Coating: What is behind the decision to enter the steel pipe coating market? Hans Pierik: SABIC has a long history in supplying materials for pressure pipes, mainly HDPE, PVC and polypropylene for infrastructure pipe for the distribution of drinking water and gas and also for sewerage applications. This is for outside infrastructure (distribu- tion of water and gas) and for hot and cold water inside the house with PP-R. Since January this year SABIC has decided to put
more focus on certain segments, such as automotive and foamed applications and pipe, which includes pressure pipe applications. For this purpose SABIC has created a dedicated team of sales, marketing, technol- ogy, research & development and product stewardship experts. We are a global team and within this we have focused on steel pipe coating. PC: Compared to gas distribution, the steel pipe coating market is pretty small. What is the attraction to a company the scale of SABIC? HP: You are absolutely right. Compared to pressure pipes for distribution of
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drinking water or gas, steel pipe coating is a relatively small application but, nevertheless, our strategy is to diversify our product portfolio and bring value to markets that are not as large as those we focused on some years ago. Steel pipe coating is one of those segments, one of the applications from a pipe industry perspective that we are looking into to diversify our portfolio. It has been a focus for two and a half years; the fact we are now collaborating with Arkema has accelerated the introduction of this grade into the market. PC: Does SABIC’s experience in the plastic pipe sector give the company an advantage in this new market? HP: The move from PE100 pressure pipes to steel pipe coating, well, the similarity in products is there. Both of them are HDPE products, they are black compounds, they need to have
Main image: SABIC’s Vestolen
A 5640C HDPE has been devel- oped for pipe coating
applications and is fully qualified
Left: SABIC Global Marketing Manager Pipe & Utilities Hans Pierik
December 2016 | PIPELINE COATING 17
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