410 material in sea water appllication

[metboss]

Hello,

Our application is water injection well and we need to select the material for Wellhead equipment (API 6A). Can we use 13Cr (AISI 410) material in sea water application? We proposed 13Cr material; but our client says that 13Cr cannot be used due to NACE restrictions and potential pitting corrosion. Is there any cut off limit for chloride concentration as per NACE?
As per my interpretation of NACE MR-0175 (Table A.18), it reads as ”any combination of temperature & chloride concertation” is acceptable and only restriction is found for H2S i.e. 1.5 psi max.

a) What is the maximum chloride concentration (ppm) is acceptable for 13Cr material? What is the maximum H2S (psi) is acceptable for 13Cr material?
b)Another substitution is AISI 4130 material; but, it seems to be more corrosive than 13Cr in sea water service. Also, from cost & application perspective, we will not be able to use Monel and Inco alloys & also, it requires more lead time for procurement. Is there any other material, we can use for sea water application?
c)In one of our well data details, H2S concentration is mentioned as 18%. How to calculate it in psi for liquid system? As per NACE, annex C (C.2), first of all bubble point to be calculated. How to determine the bubble point pressure of liquid if working pressure is 5000 psi?

Thanks

 

13 Cr 'stainless' steel will soon develop red rust if parked out in the rain. It is wholly unsuitable for sea water service.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

 

[weldstan]

Super ferritic stainless steels may be considered for your service. They contain about 26% Cr and 1% Mo. No way 410 will prove adequate.

 

[SJones]

b) ISO 21457, 7.3
c) Using some fancy process simulation software like Unisim.

Steve Jones
Corrosion Management Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/in/drstevejones

All answers are personal opinions only and are in no way connected with any employer.

 

[EdStainless]

Why not give us the water chemistry?
I have seen 13Cr used for this a lot, and fail a lot.
If a couple of years is fine, and you are using good inhibitors, and it never exposed to air, and has very low oxygen (sub ppm), then maybe.
A lot of these are carbon steel that is lined with Ni alloy, and for good reason.

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P.E. Metallurgy

 

[1gibson]

Consider duplex or super duplex?

 

[metboss]

Thank you all for your feedback.

Also, I have gone through ISO 21457 and it is very helpful in selecting material for water injection application.

By the way, I would like to know if my interpretation of NACE MR-0175 was right (?).

NACE MR-0175 (Table A.18), it reads as ”any combination of temperature & chloride concertation” is acceptable and only restriction is found for H2S i.e. 1.5 psi max. So, there is no maximum limit for chloride concertation?? Pls. advice.

 

[SJones]

You should be looking at Technical Circular 3.

https://isotc.iso.org/livelink/live...=ll&objId=7188901&objAction=browse&viewType=1

Yes, 1.5 psi pH2S is correct, but it goes with a minimum pH of 3.5, and has the text:
"Subject to limitations on the in situ pH and pH2S, these materials have been used for these components without restriction on temperature and chloride concentration in production environments. No limits on these parameters are set, but some combinations of their values might not be acceptable."

Seems like you could do with some formal assistance - my rates are not excessive, I don't think

Steve Jones
Corrosion Management Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/in/drstevejones

All answers are personal opinions only and are in no way connected with any employer.

 

[EdStainless]

And it doesn't say that there won't be any corrosion. It is only addressing resistance to attack from the H2S.

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P.E. Metallurgy

 

[blacksmith37]

CA 6 NM is commonly used for ship propellers ( 13 Cr , 4 Ni, 0.6 Mo). I believe it was developed for sour service. We used it for well heads and water injection well heads . Also used the wrought form , F 6 NM. ASTM STP 756 (1980) has a collection of papers on the uses of CA 6 NM.

 

[EdStainless]

Here are a few references. The Nickel Institute is a great resource.

https://nickelinstitute.org/media/1...asindustryselectionguidelinesupdate_10073.pdf

https://nickelinstitute.org/media/1...loytubularsforoffshoreapplications_10035_.pdf

https://nickelinstitute.org/media/1...environmentsnaturalwatersandbrines_11003_.pdf

https://nickelinstitute.org/media/1...rdesalinationandoilfieldbrinepumps_11004_.pdf

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P.E. Metallurgy

 

[metboss]

Thank you all for your valuable feedback.

 

CA 6 NM is commonly used for ship propellers ( 13 Cr , 4 Ni, 0.6 Mo). I believe it was developed for sour service.

Not exactly.

CA-6NM was originally developed around 1965 by Georg Fischer for hydroelectric turbine use. Its primary feature was cavitation resistance but it also has much improved processing characteristics when compared to CA-15 (410SS) - better castability and weldability, deep air hardening properties, lower stress relief temperature, high strength and better impact toughness. By the 1980s people had figured out how to cope with this alloy's extreme sensitivity to carbon content and how to weld it more safely. I consider its weldability to be good.

Its primary uses for a long time were for hydro turbines and pump impellors, where strength, cavitation resistance and reasonable corrosion resistance are useful. CA-6NM has latterly found application in oilfield sour service, but it requires double tempering to meet NACE hardness limits. That can be tricky.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

 

[blacksmith37]

@ ironic metallurgist : Good call , There is a paper in the ASTM STP 756 by G. Fischer Co regarding the history of CA 6NM and their use of it in the early 60's. I had read it and marked it up 40 years ago but forgot. I was more familiar with CA 6NM from the MR-01-75 committee when it was approved at a higher hardness level than most martensitic alloys , although I don't know if that exception is in the current document.

 

[EdStainless]

I used to use a lot of it in downhole applications. Hot, high Cl, high CO2, sour, and absolutely ZERO oxygen. It would corrode but not crack. I forget what strength level we used, but it was toward the soft end that is for sure (Q&T).
We also used a fair amount of 9Cr1Mo and it was fine.

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P.E. Metallurgy

 

[blacksmith37]

@ EdStainless ; In 1998 ( 6 th Ed.) 5 CT required HRC 23 or 241 BHN max for 9 Cr and 13 Cr tubulars.