UK PIPE manufacturer Corus Tubes Energy Business has just completed the production and delivery of a major coated pipeline project for Shell's Cleaver Bank High pipeline in the North Sea, off the north coast of Norfolk, UK. Corus Tubes won this contract from Allseas UK Ltd working for Shell UK Exploration and Production in April, 2002. The pipeline project included 31,106 tonnes of 20-in SAW (submerged-arc welded) linepipe (508mm outside diameter), grade X60, manufactured at the companys 42-in pipe mill at Hartlepool, UK. In addition, Corus co-ordinated the supply of 2599 tonnes of seamless coated 4-in pipe grade X52 (114.3mm OD), piggy-backed on the 20-in linepipe. All the linepipe was externally coated with a three-layer polypropylene coat at the BSR joint-venture plant on the Hartlepool mill site. The completed pipes were delivered to Allseas for load-out at the end of February. In total, we have supplied 184km of coated (non-sour) gas pipeline for this project, one of the largest coated pipelines in the North Sea, explained Russell Codling, Corus Tubes' offshore sales manager. With one of the most up-to-date three-layer coating plants in Europe and the leading-edge 42-in pipe mill at Hartlepool, the company is in a strong position to compete for major coated pipeline projects around the world, he added.