Sulfide stress cracking of high-strength steels in laboratory and oilfield environments
The results of laboratory and field tests indicate that high-strength steels are resistant to sulfide stress cracking (SSC) under specified conditions of temperature and H/sub 2/S concentration. The field behavior of these materials can be predicted, based on information gained from laboratory SSC tests. Stressed specimens of J-55, C-75, N-80, MOD N-80 SOO-95 P-100, SOO-125 SOO-140 V-150, and 410 stainless steel were exposed to 11 different oilfield environments containing H/sub 2/S (0.003 to 11 percent H/sub 2/S) at flowline pressures and at simulated shut-in conditions where temperatures approached ambient (35-120/sup 0/F). Field tests were also conducted in a heated sour gas environment (11 percent H/sub 2/S) at temperatures of 100/sup 0/F to 300/sup 0/F. Laboratory SSC tests were performed using specimens identical to those used in the field tests exposed to aqueous solutions saturated with H/sub 2/S/N/sub 2/ gas mixtures (0.1 percent to 100 percent H/sub 2/S). Elevated temperature SSC tests were also conducted in the laboratory at 75/sup 0/F to 300/sup 0/F. In field environments, three factors found to have the greatest effect on SSC susceptibility of high-strength steels were (1) H/sub 2/S concentration, (2) temperature, and (3) free water content of produced fluids. CO/sub 2/ content of the sour environments was not found to be a major factor. Excellent agreement was observed between laboratory and field SSC data. Both maximum H/sub 2/S concentration and minimum temperature limits were determined for each grade of steel, which define the conditions under which the high-strength steels are not susceptible to SSC at 100 percent of their respective yield strengths. No single value of H/sub 2/S concentration or temperature was found at which all high-strength steels exhibit a transition from SSC behavior to normal ductile behavior. This transition was observed to occur over a range of H/sub 2/S concentrations and temperatures, depending primarily on the yield strength and metallurgy of these materials.
- OSTI ID:
- 7223260
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-761008-75
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020300 -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105* -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
DRILLING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
WELL CASINGS
WELL DRILLING