A detailed surface evaluation was performed for the components of two multistage centrifugal pumps for water injection in a Venezuelan oil production field. Several non-destructive methods were employed: visual inspection, die penetrant and replica extraction, followed by micro-morphological and chemical analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy (EDX). The flow-induced degradation mechanisms varied depending on the pump component and their ranking, according to damage intensity, from high to low, was: i) severe erosion-corrosion in the balance bush system; ii) severe erosion-corrosion in the middle bush; iii) wear of variable intensity of the active face of wear-rings; iv) mild wear of the UNS-L13910 coated sliding bearings; v) axially oriented erosion of the contact surface between wear-ring and spindle; vi) high viscosity deposits of oil in the outlet stages; vii) spindle corrosion; viii) pitting inside impeller periphery slots; ix) deposition of crystallized salts. The criticality ranking fairly agreed with the performance history of the pumps.

Subject
Scanning electron microscopy, Wear, Steel surfaces, Materials, Degradation, Surfaces, Fluids, Pressure, Water injection, Deposit corrosion, Visual assessment, Fracture, Oil
Keywords:
multistage-pump, corrosion - erosion, channeling, water injection
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2012
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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