Oilfield Materials

Selection Software:
What’s Important
www.CorrosionSource.com
R. D. Kane, S. Srinivasan
InterCorr International, Inc.
Houston, Texas
 Materials Selection
Organization Software Applications

Subsurface
Equipment Well Casing
„ Introduction
„ Background
„ Computer Tools for corrosion
assessment and materials
selection
„ Use by the Specialist
„ Integration in Well Design
„ Use by the Non-Specialist
„ Conclusions

Wellhead Equipment
Introduction – Evolution of Software Tools

„ Since the late-1980’s, personal computers, corrosion models and associated

software tools have been developed that help specialists handle corrosion
problems of increasing complexity and sophistication:
• Corrosion prediction of steels in multiphase oil and gas production
environments
• Selection of corrosion resistant alloys to resist corrosion, pitting and
stress corrosion cracking in downhole or surface applications and
• Evaluation of steels and weldments for wet H2S cracking.

„ Recently, some of these tools have been

delivered via Internet and Intranet networks
to a broader group of users.

„ However, by and large, these tools have

remained “expert tools” that require
corrosion and metallurgical expertise to be
able to implement actions based on their
recommendations.
Background – Software Benefits to the Specialist

„ Software tools have the following benefits for the specialist user:
• Incorporate rules and various types of information (e.g. data, references,
standards, rules-of-thumb)
• Provides substantial time savings that reduce the “leg work” required to make
and support decisions.
• Lend consistency to the engineering decision-making process.

Materials
Selection
The Specialist User - Requirements

„ Selection of materials has a significant impact on

the total cost of asset ownership.
„ Optimum material recommendation implies finding
a balance between the cost of the materials of
construction, without sacrificing engineering or
corrosion performance of the component.
„ Inadequate analysis can lead to Cost Risk
• costly production downtime
• increased risk of failure
• substantial ensuing liability, and
• high workover costs
„ The material specialist has to perform a delicate
balancing act, one that takes the least expensive Material Selection
material choices while ensuring operational safety
and robust performance to minimize failure.
Starting Point

„ Two very basic questions need to be answered when selecting

materials for oilfield service. Corrosion of Steel
in CO2/brine

„ Corrosion Assessment
1. Will steel work (with or without inhibitors)?
2. If not, then what alloy should be used?

„ If steel is not viable, then alloy selection

will require further analysis:

„ Alloy Selection
• General corrosion resistance
• Pitting resistance
• SSC / SCC resistance
Chloride SCC
of CRA
Corrosion Assessment - 1

„ Requires a knowledge of the

production environment, which may
vary over time from:
• Increased production rate
„ Additional wells on-line
„ Future field tie-ins
• Decreased production / increased
water
„ Maturing of the field
„ Breakthrough on water flood
• Increased H2S production
„ Reservoir Souring
„ This analysis requires a knowledge of
the development / production plan
and assessment of the corrosivity as a
function of time.
„ Example shows early production – low
water fraction results in low corrosion
rate; no inhibition needed.
Corrosion Assessment - 2

„ A view of the production later in

the field life may show a different
view relative to corrosion severity.
„ In this case:
• The pressure has decreased, and
• The amount of water in the
production environment has
increased
„ As a result, the corrosion rate has
increased to unacceptably high
levels.
Corrosion Assessment - 3

„ Based on the changes in field

conditions, inhibition will be
necessary to reduce the corrosion
rate to acceptable levels.
„ Based on this analysis, continuous
inhibitor injection will be needed.
„ Therefore, operational decisions
must be made to include
capabilities for inhibitor injection.
„ Analysis of batch treatment
indicated unacceptable results.
„ Furthermore, as water production
increased further, pigging will also
be required.
Materials Selection - 1

„ Selection of materials requires

many of the same inputs as
corrosion assessment.
„ However, rules applied are
different and must handle:
• Assessment of general
corrosion
• Localized corrosion
• Susceptibility to SSC and SCC
„ NOTE: It requires looking for
the worst case scenario.
• Unlike use of steels where
inhibitors can be added later,
CRAs are generally decided
upon up-front in the project.
• Changes in operating
conditions with time can be
overlooked.
Materials Selection - 2

„ In this case, a future sub-sea

tie-in with increase the
anticipated production
temperature along with
increases in:
• Water production
• H2S partial pressure
• Chlorides
„ Therefore, the materials
selection analysis indicates
fewer options relative to
acceptable materials.
„ Materials with increased alloy
content will be needed.
Materials Selection - 3

„ Additional requirements for Steel Completion

materials selection:
• Cost analysis is also an
important consideration
• Several cases may be 13Cr Completion
reviewed as costs can
varying depending on
location and supplier
• Cost analysis must also
consider other options;
e.g. steel plus inhibitor
„ Other considerations may
include:
• Consideration of new
materials
• Viewing of reference data
• Availability of new data
• These can be handled
through software for
specialist evaluation and
recommendations. Annualized Cost:
$116,000

Annualized Cost:
$36,000
Materials Selection - 4

„ However, one question inherent to software systems

is…. How to incorporate the novice (non-specialist) user?

„ Additionally, a related question is….. How to integrate these tools

into mainstream technical and business functions.

„ These functions include system design

and equipment procurement where the
primary users are intended to be
non-specialists.

„ This need has lead to a pioneering, new

effort to bring materials and corrosion
specialists into the mainstream of oil
and gas operations.
From Materials Selection to Specification of Equipment

Subsurface
„
„ “Materials and Trim Selection Safety Valve Well Casing
System for Wellheads and
Christmas Trees”
„
„ This new software system was
created in collaboration with
ChevronTexaco to provide:
•• Drilling
Drilling and
and production
production engineers
engineers
with
with the
the ability
ability to
to generate
generate optimal
optimal
material
material selection
selection choices
choices and
and
complete
complete equipment
equipment specifications.
specifications.
•• The
The system
system was
was specifically
specifically designed
designed
to
to provide
provide field
field and
and operations
operations
engineers
engineers with
with aa common
common basis
basis in
in
discussions
discussions with
with equipment
equipment
manufacturers
manufacturers and and service
service providers.
providers.
•• It
It incorporates
incorporates existing
existing specialists
specialists
tools,
tools, company
company specifications
specifications and
and
industry
industry guidelines.
guidelines. Subsea Wellhead
System Description - “Wellhead”

„ The Wellhead system provides complete material selection and

equipment specification functionality consistent with internal company
specifications and industry guidelines.
„ The original objective was to automatically generate valve ordering
descriptions.
„ These can be used to identify and finalize requirements for materials
and equipment with the supplier.
„ The system now incorporates requirements from the following API
Specifications for wellhead and subsurface equipment:
• API Spec 6A " Specification for Surface Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment"

• API Spec 17D " Specification for Subsea Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment"

• API Spec 14A " Specification for Subsurface Safety Valve Equipment"
Wellhead System: Input - Output

System Input

„ Environmental
Specifications:
H2S and CO2
Chloride and HCO3
GOR, WGR
Temperature

„ Project Requirements
Project Life
Sour Service Rating
Type of Service
Safety and Risk
Considerations
„ A worst case corrosion rate for carbon steels for the environment
„ A required Pitting Index to determine the extent of alloying required
„ Recommended API materials class
System Output „ Recommended API temperature class
„ Recommended Product Specification Level (PSL)
„ Recommended API class for subsurface safety valves
Use of the Software by Non-Specialists - 1

„ The primary intent for the system's

recommendations is reach two goals:
• Generate technically rigorous
engineering solutions in terms of
equipment specifications from a stand
point of corrosion evaluation, material
selection and design functionality.
• But even more importantly, also give the
end user, typically a field engineer (non-
specialist), the complete procurement
specification that can be taken to a
vendor without any further translation or
interpretation.
„ It has now been expanded to include
subsurface equipment and tubing
material.
„ This requires:
• Focusing to materials of practical interest
• Linking of results to company
procurement specifications and industry
standards
• Addition of warning and help statements
for the non-specialist user
 Use of the Software by Non-Specialists - 2

Parameter Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4

„ In order to illustrate the Temperature, F 250 F 250 F 250 F 250 F
design and functionality of the Total pressure, psia 9000 9000 9000 9000
system, a typical case study Rated Work Pressure 10000 10000 10000 10000
was generated. Input
CO2, psia 36 36 36 36
conditions for this case study
are shown. H2S, psia 0 0 0.5 15

• Case 1 - Benign (e.g. low Chlorides, ppm 45000 45000 45000 45000
corrosion rate, non-sour) Bicarbonates, ppm 200 200 200 200
• Case 2 - to case 1, except for Gas Prod. Rate, 10 10 10 10
the desired service life, which MMSCFD
has been changed to 10 GOR, SCF/BBL 6000 6000 6000 6000
years WGR, BBL/MMSCF 10 10 10 10
• Case 3 - 0.5 psia of H2S was Application Surface Surface Surface Surface
added to the environment
Sour service criterion MR0175 MR0175 MR0175 MR0175
• Case 4 - the value of H2S
was changed to a more Service Life, years 5 10 10 10
severe sour service case Max. Escape Vol, 10000000 10000000 10000000 10000000
(15 psia) ft3/day
Close proximity Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Use of the Software by Non-Specialists - 3

„ The most significant

Result/ Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4
aspect of this system Recommendation

is the results that Calculated system pH 4.92 4.92 4.91 4.77

include: Predicted corrosion rate,

mpy
96.0 96.0 24.1 37.7

• A complete vendor Required pitting index 13 13 13 25

ordering description API Materials Class BB CC FF HH

for the wellhead or API Temperature Class V V V V

Christmas tree Recommended PSL 3 3 3 4

including API trim. API SSSV Class 3S:

12 % Cr
3S:
12 % Cr
Inconel /
Incoloy
Inconel /
Incoloy
• SSSV class Production Tubing Material All 13 Cr All 13 Cr 5CT-13 Cr- Nickel-based
L80 alloy (825, G,
designation C276)
• Tubing material
requirement.
 Quality Assurance Level

Example of the PSL* levels:

a) PSL 1 & 2. This equipment should have a quality level similar to what has purchased
in the past from first tier suppliers. This equipment should be available off-the-shelf from
approved suppliers. About 75 % to 90 % of wellheads and Christmas trees should be PSL
1 or PSL 2.

b) PSL 3. With little modification, PSL 3 equipment will probably be the standard for the
certain regions. PSL 3 is not an off-the-shelf order. PSL 3 equipment is recommended for
sour service with working pressures above 5,000 psi, and for non-sour service with
working pressures above 10,000 psi.

c) PSL 4. This equipment should be used only for specialized critical applications, such as
for deep sour gas wells. Certain regions use PSL 3 for equipment exposed to H2S and
upgrades to PSL 4 for critical sour service, which includes greater than 5,000 psi
maximum working pressure.

WellHead 5.0 - Materials and Trim Selection System for Wellheads and Christmas Trees

*PSL - Product Specification Level

Conclusions
„ Materials selection involves many factors that are application specific. These
include:
• Corrosion assessment
• Alloy selection
• Other considerations including cost, risk, etc.
„ Until now, most uses of materials selection software were by the “specialist user”
to save time.
„ The main accomplishment of the software was to provide increased efficiency,
accuracy and consistency.
„ A new software tool has been developed that helps to integrate materials
selection functions with mainstream oilfield procurement.
• It seamlessly integrates established corrosion software tools, company specifications
and industry standards.
„ This goal focuses on a “new paradigm” where the specialist is the system
developer, gatekeeper, and updater to efficiently interface with non-specialist
users throughout the company.
„ Further details will be presented in Paper #134 at Corrosion 2003 in March.