In Oil Sands SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) operation steam is injected into underground oil sands deposits to heat the bitumen locked in the sand and allow it to flow well enough to be extracted. Depending on the design of the SAGD facility, the steam distribution system can include hundreds of meters or kilometers long of piping/pipeline conveying steam from the plant. The reliability and integrity of this steam distribution system is critical for SAGD operation. This paper reports severe damage found at the high pressure steam distribution system in a SAGD facility. The morphology, distribution and features of the damage and the associated process conditions are summarized. The potential damage mechanisms and contributing factors are analyzed. A damaged mechanism similar to conventional FAC (Flow Accelerated Corrosion) but under unique process conditions, i.e. un-conventional FAC with high temperature, high pH, low water quality, and reducing conditions, is deemed to be the most likely corrosion mechanism causing the damage. Further investigation is needed to confirm and obtain a better understanding of this damage mechanism.

Subject
Vapor pressure, Water, Materials, Piping, Pipelines, Inspection, Vapors, Acidity, Liquids, Boilers, Steam, Damage, Sampling
Keywords:
Oil Sands, SAGD, Steam distribution system, un-conventional FAC
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2021
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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