Analysis of Bimetallic Pipe for Sour Service

Abstract

This paper presents the results of laboratory investigations conducted to better our definition of the serviceability of bimetallic pipe manufactured by the thermohydraulic (tight-fit) method for Mobile Bay service. Both Alloy 625/API X-65 and Alloy 825/API X-65 tight-fit pipe (TFP) were evaluated under conditions of standard corrosion test environments to evaluate the metallurigical conditions fo the corrosion-resistant-alloy (CRA) liner tubes, long-term, full-scale TFP exposure under a simulated Mobile Bay production environment containing high levels of H{sub 2}S and CO{sub 2}, and hydrogen-permeation experiments designed to examine potential effects of CRA liner collapse from hydrogen produced by corrosion on the ID and/or cathodic protection on the OD. Results indicate that bimetallic TFP exhibited an acceptable metallurgical condition of the CRA liner materials. Under the simulated Mobile Bay production environment, TFP exhibited good resistance to general corrosion, stress-corrosion cracking (SCC), and liner collapse. Hydrogen-permeation tests indicate that very conservative estimates of service-life liner collapse from interfacial hydrogen pressure range from 150 to more than 800 years, depending on conditions. For all practical purposes, liner collapse from hydrogen is not a limiting factor for TFP flowline applications.