The US oil and gas supply has been increased significantly due in large part to the recent increases in production from shale fields. However, this development has also presented unique challenges with respect to materials integrity and corrosion issues. In this paper, two recent case studies of failed pipe fittings recovered from an onshore shale field are described. A perforated tee and pipe nipple retrieved from shale production systems were analyzed to determine the precise mechanism(s) that contributed to their corrosion and subsequent failure. It was determined that both fittings experienced localized corrosion due to exposure to carbonic acid and dissolved hydrogen sulfide. Mitigation strategies were developed to minimize the potential for similar failures in the future.

Subject
X-ray diffraction, Pipe surfaces, Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Materials, Piping, Perforation, Photography, Metal surfaces, Iron sulfides, Fittings, Corrosion scales, Steel, Deposit corrosion
Keywords:
Carbon dioxide corrosion, localized corrosion, carbonic acid, shale production, pipe fittings
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2020
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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