Hydrogen Sulphide Corrosion Cracking of Steel
L. W. VOLLMER
DURING the past three years at least fifty strings of 9% nickel steel tubing have exhibited excellent resistance .to the variably severe corrosive conditions typical of many of the sweet condensate wells in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. This experience, and the characteristically outstanding performance of other nickel alloy steels under hydrogen sulphide corrosive conditions, dictated the selection of 9% nickel steel tubing for the second well drilled in the sour condensate Pincher Creek field of southwestern Alberta. The damaging effects of the Pincher Creek reservoir fluids on well equipment had been manifested in the discovery well by the rapid and not yet fully understood failure of API Grade N-80 tubing, stainless steel wire lines, and alloy steel fishing tools. Two very unexpected failures in the 9% nickel steel tubing, after only six days of service in production tests, instigated an extensive and continuing investigation to ascertain the probable cause of failure. This discuss ion presents some of the results obtained thus far which cast a little light on the perplexing behaviour of steels in hydrogen sulphide environments in general, and in sour condensate wells in particular.
Keywords:
corrosion, hydrogen sulphide, Nickel Stee, Steel. . . . ., yield strength, Failure, failures, nickel, steel, Steels, stress, Tests, Tubing
