This Recommended Practice provides guidelines for the design, analysis, manufacture, testing, installation and operation of flexible pipes and flexible pipe systems for onshore, subsea and marine applications. This RP supplements API Specs 17J and 17K, which specify minimum requirements for the design, material selection, manufacture, testing, marking and packaging of unbonded and bonded flexible pipe, respectively.

This RP applies to flexible pipe assemblies, consisting of segments of flexible pipe body with end fittings attached to both ends. Both bonded and unbonded pipe types are covered. In addition, this RP applies to flexible pipe systems, including ancillary components.

The applications covered by this RP are sweet- and sour-service production, including export and injection applications. This RP applies to both static and dynamic flexible pipe systems used as flowlines, risers and jumpers. This RP does cover, in general terms, the use of flexible pipes for offshore loading systems. This RP does not cover flexible pipes for use in choke and kill lines or umbilical and control lines.

This edition of RP 17B is th eidentical national adoption of ISO 13628-11:2007, Petroleum as natural gas industries-Design and operation of subsea production systems-Part 11: Flexible pipe systems for subsea and marine riser applications.