To strengthen India’s energy infrastructure, the Centre is working to improve the efficiency and durability of the country's gas transportation network by adopting an internationally recognised quality standard for friction-reduction coatings used inside steel gas pipelines.
The proposal comes as India accelerates the expansion of its natural gas pipeline network amid heightened energy security concerns following the West Asia war. The government aims to raise natural gas's share in the energy mix to 15% by 2030 from about 6.5%, driven by wider adoption of piped natural gas and greater use of gas in long-haul transport.
Natural gas is transported across India through high-pressure steel transmission pipelines linking gas fields, LNG import terminals and cross-border supply points with city gas distribution networks, fertiliser plants, refineries, power stations and industrial consumers.
According to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the country has 25,923 km of operational gas transmission pipelines, while another 9,954 km is under construction, taking the total authorised network to 34,238 km.
As gas travels over long distances, compressor stations maintain pressure across the network. By reducing the roughness of the pipe's internal surface, friction-reduction coatings minimize pressure losses and improve transportation efficiency.
“These coatings are designed to reduce friction inside pipelines, improve gas flow, lower energy consumption during transportation and provide temporary corrosion protection to the internal surface of pipelines during storage and transportation, helping extend the life of critical energy infrastructure,” an official close to the development said.
BIS proposes adopting global benchmark
The draft standard, placed in the public domain on 24 July for a two-month stakeholder consultation, lays down uniform technical requirements and testing methods for coating materials, application and performance to ensure consistent quality across the pipeline ecosystem.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has proposed adopting ISO 15741:2016 as an Indian Standard, providing a uniform benchmark for internal coatings used in steel gas transmission pipelines.
"The objective is to harmonise Indian Standards with internationally accepted best practices wherever considered appropriate and in the national interest," a BIS spokesperson said in response to Mint's queries.
Stakeholder comments will be examined by BIS's paints, varnishes and related products sectional committee (CHD 20) before the standard is finalized.
The implementation of the standard will remain voluntary unless the government subsequently notifies it under a Quality Control Order (QCO). No decision has been taken so far on issuing such an order.
Companies choosing to adopt the standard will need to comply with its technical requirements, including specifications relating to coating materials, process controls, testing and quality assurance measures, depending on their existing manufacturing practices and infrastructure.
While complying with these requirements may entail additional implementation costs for some organisations, the actual costs and long-term benefits, including improved operational efficiency, reduced pressure losses and enhanced handling protection, will depend on the specific operating conditions, pipeline design and implementation practices adopted by individual organisations, a second official close to the matter said.
"As most pipeline operators already use internal friction-reduction coatings based on company or project-specific specifications, the proposed BIS standard is aimed at providing a common nationally recognised benchmark, enabling manufacturers, pipeline operators and testing laboratories to work with a uniform set of technical requirements, testing methods and performance criteria," said the second official.
Experts call for India-specific adaptation
International standards should function as an integrated system covering the entire pipeline lifecycle rather than as isolated technical documents, said Anil Bhardwaj, fellow at the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) and pipeline internal corrosion expert.
"India should harmonise its national requirements with internationally recognised standards but adapt them to Indian operating conditions, organisational capabilities, ageing assets, climatic diversity, densely populated areas and the large number of non-piggable pipelines," he said.
"Pipeline corrosion is technically manageable. Failures generally occur not because corrosion is an unknown phenomenon, but because warning signs are missed, responsibilities are fragmented, data are not integrated, or timely corrective action is deferred," he said.