NACE-1F192-2000.pdf

Item No. 24010 NACE International Publication 1F192 (2000 Revision) This Technical Committee Report has been prepared by NACE International Work Group T-1F-21g* on Report on Use of Corrosion-Resistant Alloys in Oilfield Environments Use of Corrosion-Resistant Alloys in Oilfield Environments © March 2000, NACE International This NACE International technical committee report represents a consensus of those individual members who have reviewed this document, its scope, and provisions. Its acceptance does not in any respect preclude anyone from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, or using products, processes, or procedures not included in this report. Nothing contained in this NACE International report is to be construed as granting any right, by implication or otherwise, to manufacture, sell, or use in connection with any method, apparatus, or product covered by Letters Patent, or as indemnifying or protecting anyone against liability for infringement of Letters Patent. This report should in no way be interpreted as a restriction on the use of better procedures or materials not discussed herein. Neither is this report intended to apply in all cases relating to the subject. Unpredictable circumstances may negate the usefulness of this report in specific instances. NACE International assumes no responsibility for the interpretation or use of this report by other parties. Users of this NACE International report are responsible for reviewing appropriate health, safety, environmental, and regulatory documents and for determining their applicability in relation to this report prior to its use. This NACE International report may not necessarily address all potential health and safety problems or environmental hazards associated with the use of materials, equipment, and/or operations detailed or referred to within this report. Users of this NACE International report are also responsible for establishing appropriate health, safety, and environmental protection practices, in consultation with appropriate regulatory authorities if necessary, to achieve compliance with any existing applicable regulatory requirements prior to the use of this report. CAUTIONARY NOTICE: The user is cautioned to obtain the latest edition of this report. NACE International reports are subject to periodic review, and may be revised or withdrawn at any time without prior notice. NACE reports are automatically withdrawn if more than 10 years old. Purchasers of NACE International reports may receive current information on all NACE International publications by contacting the NACE International Membership Services Department, P.O. Box 218340, Houston, Texas 77218-8340 (telephone +1281228-6200). Dedication This report is dedicated to Richard S. (Dick) Treseder. Dick was the original chairman of the work group that worked tirelessly for its conclusion. This report would not have been possible without his efforts and guidance. Dick died April 16, 1999, before the report could be completed. The succeeding chairman and other task group members knew Dick as a good friend and are deeply indebted to him for his dedication and leadership. Dick devised the CORREF reference system used in this report and was truly one of the pioneers in the area of corrosion and metallurgy in the oil and gas industry. He was a NACE Fellow and a NACE member for almost 52 years. We as an industry owe more to Dick than what we can convey here in this short dedication. Foreword The use of corrosion-resistant alloys (CRAs) as a corrosion- control method in oil and gas production is becoming increasingly popular. The complexity of the corrosion effects associated with these alloys in the severe environments for which they may provide an economically attractive solution and the metallurgical complexities of the many alloys being offered have resulted in difficult materials selection problems for the corrosion engineer. This report provides the corrosion engineer with a summary of the extensive data available on oilfield experience with CRAs and on their metallurgical properties. This technical committee report was originally prepared in 1992 by NACE Task Group T-1F-21, revised in 1993 by Work Group T-1F-21b, and revised again in 2000 by Work Group T-1F-21g. These groups are components of Unit Committee T-1F on Metallurgy of Oilfield Equipment. This report is published by NACE International under the auspices of Group Committee T-1 on Corrosion Control in Petroleum Production. _ Chairmen Dick Treseder (deceased), Corupdate Inc., Oakland, CA, and Bob Badrak, Houston, TX. NACE International 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction .3 1.1Definition of CRA.3 1.2Coverage of Report .3 1.3Organization of Report.3 1.4CORREF Reference System .3 1.5Use of SI and English Units .3 1.6Limitations of Use3 2. General .3 2.1Utilization.3 2.2Report Updating Procedure .3 2.3Definitions3 2.4Acronyms6 2.5Materials Selection and Design6 2.6Failure Modes6 2.7Failure Avoidance7 3. Processes Used for Manufacture.9 3.1Casting9 3.2Forging/Hot Working9 3.3Welding.9 3.4Hardsurfacing/Weld Overlays.11 3.5Cladding11 3.6Powder Metallurgy.13 4. Materials 14 4.1Austenitic Stainless Steels.14 4.2Ferritic Stainless Steels .14 4.3Martensitic Stainless Steels.15 4.4Duplex Stainless Steels.15 4.5Precipitation-Hardenable Stainless Steels16 4.6Solid-Solution Nickel-Based Alloys.17 4.7Precipitation-Hardenable Nickel-Based Alloys18 4.8Cobalt-Based Alloys 18 4.9Nickel-Copper Alloys .19 4.10Zirconium Alloys19 4.11Titanium Alloys19 4.12Copper Beryllium Alloys.20 4.13CRA Compositions 21 5. Specific Equipment32 5.1Tubing, Casing, Liners.32 5.2Downhole Packers/Safety Valves/Other Accessories .35 5.3Wireline Equipment35 5.4Wellheads/Trees/Valves35 5.5Flowlines/Production Risers.36 5.6Valves.40 5.7Pumps.40 5.8Vessels41 5.9Compressors.42 5.10Bolting.42 5.11Instrumentation43 5.12Heat Exchangers.43 6.Oilfield EnvironmentsAlloy Performance.43 6.1Performance of Individual CRAs43 6.2Data Format 44 6.3Limitations of Data.44 NACE International 3 References.62 Bibliography .66 Appendix ACORREF Reference System.67 Section 1: Introduction 1.1 Definition of CRA A corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) is defined as an alloy whose mass-loss corrosion rate in produced fluids is at least an order of magnitude less than that of carbon and low-alloy steel, thus providing an alternative method to using inhibition for corrosion control. 1.2 Coverage of Report This report covers a wide range of corrosion mechanisms including stress corrosion cracking (SCC), forms of hydrogen embrittlement (HE), general corrosion, pitting and crevice corrosion, corrosion fatigue, and liquid metal cracking. This report is written for the engineer who has knowledge of the characteristics of corrosion systems encountered in oil and gas production, and who has experience with oilfield applications of CRAs. 1.3 Organization of Report This report is organized to allow information on a specific subject to be found without reading the entire report. However, reading Sections 1, 2, and 3 in their entirety before proceeding will help to utilize the detailed information. 1.4 CORREF Reference System Sections 5 and 6 give descriptions of specific equipment and experience using certain alloys, including failures and successes, that have been reported to the committee. Section 5 contains descriptions, and Section 6 contains graphical presentations of this experience. Both sections use the CORREF reference identification system, which is explained fully in Appendix A. Reference numbers in accordance with the NACE International Publications Style Manual are also used, both alone and in addition to the CORREF numbers, to allow for ease of locating all references. 1.5 Use of SI and English Units Measurements in this report follow the NACE Publications Style Manual, Paragraph 2.10. Some measurements are listed in U.S. Customary units followed by the Systeme Internationale (SI) conversion, while others are listed in SI units first. In accordance with the Style Manual, the actual measurements recorded are shown first followed by the conversion. 1.6 Limitations of Use This NACE technical committee report does NOT present standardized materials selection methods or materials specifications. This report presents information on current industry practices only and should not be interpreted as recommending use of the materials listed herein. Section 2: General 2.1 Utilization The following example illustrates how the report can be used. If the problem under study is selection of suitable CRA tubing for a specific sour gas well, after reviewing field experience information for alloy tubing given in Paragraph 5.1, the engineer might decide that duplex stainless steels and solid-solution nickel-base alloys are of interest. The metallurgical information on these two alloy groups is given in Paragraphs 4.4 and 4.6. The effect of environmental factors on corrosion of specific alloys in these two alloy groups is given in Paragraph 6.1. The engineer might then consider this information in conjunction with the specific design and operation characteristics of the well and could proceed to make a materials selection or define additional testing parameters. 2.2 Report Updating Procedure This report will be updated in accordance with NACE procedures. Suggestions for revision will be reviewed by Task Group T-1F-21g, which is assigned this responsibility. Proposed technical revisions to the report will be balloted in accordance with NACE procedures followed for technical committee reports. Any alloy that is commercially available to the petroleum industry will be reviewed upon request to determine its placement into a specified category and to determine whether specific comments on the alloy are needed in the report. Persons who wish to propose revisions are invited to submit their suggestions, with supporting data, to: Chairman, Task Group T-1F-21g, NACE Technical Activities Division, P.O. Box 218340, Houston, TX 77218-8340. 2.3 Definitions The definitions given below are either standard NACE or ASM International(1) definitions. Expanded definitions of environmental cracking terms used in this report are given in Section 3. Activation: The changing of a passive surface of a metal to a chemically active state. Active: (1) The negative direction of electrode potential. (2) A state of a metal that is corroding without significant influence of reaction product. Active Metal: A metal ready to corrode, or being corroded. Active Potential: The potential of a corroding material. _ (1) ASM International, 9639 Kinsman Rd., Materials Park, OH 44073-0002. NACE International 4 Air Induction Melting (AIM): A process for remelting and refining metals in which the metal is exposed to air and melted by induction heating. Anion: A negatively charged ion that migrates through the electrolyte toward the anode under the influence of a potential gradient. Anode: The electrode of an electrochemical cell at which oxidation occurs. Electrons flow away from the anode in the external circuit. Corrosion usually occurs and metal ions enter the solution at the anode. Anodic Protection: Polarization to a more oxidizing potential to achieve a reduced corrosion rate by the promotion of passivity. Argon-Oxygen Decarburization (AOD): A refining process used in the production of stainless steels and nickel-base alloys in which an argon-oxygen mixture is blown into the molten metal bath. Austenite: A solid solution of one or more elements in face-centered cubic iron. Brittle Fracture: Fracture with little or no plastic deformation. Cathode: The electrode of an electrochemical cell at which reduction is the principal reaction. Electrons flow toward the cathode in the external circuit. Cathodic Protection: A technique to reduce the corrosion of a metal surface by making that surface the cathode of an electrochemical cell. Cation: A positively charged ion that migrates through the electrolyte toward the cathode under the influence of a potential gradient. Corrosion Fatigue: Fatigue-type cracking of metal caused by repeated or fluctuating stresses in a corrosive environment characterized by shorter life than would be encountered as a result of either the repeated or fluctuating stress alone or the corrosive environment alone. Corrosion Potential (Ecorr): The potential of a corroding surface in an electrolyte relative to a reference electrode under open-circuit conditions (also known as rest potential, open-circuit potential, or freely corroding potential). Crevice Corrosion: Localized corrosion of a metal surface at, or immediately adjacent to, an area that is shielded from full exposure to the environment because of close proximity of the metal to the surface of another material. Critical Pitting Potential (Ep, Epp): The lowest value of oxidizing potential (voltage) at which pits nucleate and grow. The value depends on the test method used and the environmental conditions. Duplex Stainless Steel: A stainless steel whose microstructure at room temperature consists primarily of a mixture of austenite and ferrite. Elastic Limit: The maximum stress that a material is capable of sustaining without permanent strain (deformation) remaining upon complete release of the stress. Electrode Potential: The potential of an electrode in an electrolyte as measured against a reference electrode. (The electrode potential does not include any resistance losses in potential in either the electrolyte or the external circuit. It represents the reversible work to move a unit of charge from the electrode surface through the electrolyte to the reference electrode.) Electrolyte: A chemical substance containing ions that migrate in an electric field. Electroslag Remelting (ESR): A consumable-electrode remelting process in which heat is generated by passage of current through a conductive slag. Environmental Cracking (EC): Brittle fracture of a normally ductile material in which the corrosive effect of the environment is a causative factor. Erosion: The progressive loss of material from a solid surface due to mechanical interaction between that surface and a fluid, a multicomponent fluid, or solid particles carried with the fluid. Erosion-Corrosion: A conjoint action involving corrosion and erosion in the presence of a moving corrosive fluid or a material moving through the fluid, leading to accelerated loss of material. Ferrite: A body-centered cubic crystalline phase of iron-base alloys. Galvanic Corrosion: Accelerated corrosion of a metal because of an electrical contact with a more noble metal or nonmetallic conductor in a corrosive electrolyte. General Corrosion: Corrosion that is distributed more or less uniformly over the surface of a material. Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ): That portion of the base metal that is not melted during brazing, cutting, or welding, but whose microstructure and properties are altered b