Guidelines

for Selecting
Materials for
Downhole
Completions
Equipment
(Jewellery)
J W Martin, S Groves
Sunbury Report No. ESR.95.ER.131
dated December 1995

Main CD
Contents
 GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING MATERIALS FOR DOWNHOLE
COMPLETION EQUIPMENT (JEWELLERY)

By

J W MARTIN & S GROVES

1. INTRODUCTION.

Materials selection for downhole completion equipment (jewellery) is an important aspect

of completion design. Selecting the wrong material in any given application can result in
premature failure, with considerable cost implications in replacement and lost production
as well as the possible safety implications.

There are two major classes of materials used in downhole jewellery, i.e. metallic and
elastomeric.

In the case of metallic materials, the present guidelines are a supplement to the
'Guidelines for selecting downhole tubular materials with particular reference to sour
conditions' (1), to which reference should be made for background information on
corrosion mechanisms, selection procedures, etc.

In the case of elastomers, the present guidelines summarise the 'BPX Elastomer Selection
Guidelines' (2), to which reference should be made for further details. These incorporate
industry and field experience in a set of selection criteria and describe seal geometry and
materials options offered by the major equipment vendors.

There are numerous designs for the various jewellery components, and often a mixture of
materials. It is inappropriate to comment on detailed materials selection in a general
guidance document of this type. Therefore, these guidelines are restricted to identifying
the material of manufacture for the "major" metal components in the jewellery components
(especially those that will see the production fluids often known as the 'flow wetted' parts)
and the elastomer seal materials.

These guidelines assume that the downhole tubular materials have been selected and offer
guidance on the selection of downhole completion equipment (jewellery) that will be
compatible with the chosen downhole tubulars. It is recognised that for mature fields
experience may proffer material alternatives that are outwith a more general guideline
document of this type, such that the guidelines are not seen as a replacement for field
experience. Rather, they should be used as a "first pass" indicator in instances where there
is insufficient knowledge of the field performance or where alternative downhole tubular
materials are being considered.
2. JEWELLERY COMPONENTS.

2.1. Packers

The packer provides the sealing capacity between the tubing and production casing. These
are the most common means of providing such isolation, due to their reliability and
flexibility. The three main types of packer are:

Retrievable Packers - These are the most commonly used around the world. The
hydraulic packer is by far the most commonly used offshore.

Permanent Packers - These are used for severe operating conditions (high
pressure, temperature, loads and/or H2S), where long life completions are desirable, etc.
Inflatable Packers - These are most commonly used during through tubing
workovers. They are also used in some completion designs, e.g. Atlantic Frontier Project.

All designs of packer are dependant on elastomer seals to provide the sealing capacity
between the tubular and annulus.

2.2. Polished Bore Receptacles (PBRs)

PBRs are normally used in combination with packers to allow for thermal expansion of
tubing during start-up or shut down, whilst maintaining a seal between the tubing and
production casing. PBRs are essentially an alternative to packer bore seals, providing a
greater through bore than straightforward packer systems. Hence PBRs are often used in
very high rate wells, deep wells with small liners and where full bore access is required
(e.g. for scale/ashphaltene removal). Anchor latches have a similar geometry but the seals
are static during normal service, they also allow retrieval in emergencies via a shear pin
arrangement.

2.3. Communication Devices

It is often necessary to provide a means of communication between the tubular and

annulus, e.g. to provide circulation to the annulus pre/post workovers. The main types of
communication device are sliding sleeves (not often used within BPX), side pocket
mandrels and gas lift/chemical injection valves.

2.4. Tubing Hanger

This is really part of the wellhead, it is included here as it is the main means of transferring
the completion loads to the ground via the surface casing. Therefore, it is an important
component in well design and is often considered together with the downhole jewellery.
2.5. Down Hole Safety Valves

These are installed below the wellhead to prevent uncontrolled flow in an emergency
situation. As such, they are critical components in ensuring well safety and selecting the
right materials is an important consideration. There are many types of DHSVs, but by far
the most common are ones that incorporate a flapper closure system.

2.6. Nipples

Landing nipples provide a means of safely installing (and recovering) flow control and
measurement equipment such as tubing plugs, chokes and safety valves in the completion
using locking devices. They consist of a short tubular section with an internally machined
profile, which has a landing and locking profile to locate and hold the wireline lock. The
fishing neck is used to locate the fishing/wire-line tools.

3. PARTICULAR MATERIALS ISSUES

3.1. Metallic Materials.

3.1.1. Seal Areas

There are a number of 'dynamic' (i.e. some movement possible) and static elastomer/metal
and/or metal/metal seal areas in downhole jewellery components, e.g. the polished bore of
PBRs or nipple seal bores. It is necessary to ensure that there is no damage to the metal
seal faces in these regions. For example, even relatively superficial pitting that would not
otherwise be considered to compromise the integrity of the jewellery component is
unacceptable on the seal faces as it can prevent sealing and/or 'tear' elastomer seals during
movement. Therefore, it may be necessary to select more corrosion-resistant materials
options for these areas of the jewellery component or weld overlay with more corrosion
resistant materials.

Elastomer sealing configurations are likely to contain a mixture of metallic materials for
packing retainers, etc. (e.g. brass, aluminium bronze, steel etc.) The important criteria is
that these regions should not be exposed to the produced fluids, such that corrosion
should not be a concern. The question to ask in such cases is "Is this a 'proven design' with
a good track record?"

3.1.2. Landing Nipples - Fishing Necks

The landing nipples are an integral part of the tubing. Therefore, they are normally the
same metallurgy as the downhole tubing. However, selection of materials for fishing necks
is very dependant on their application. For example:
 o Fishing necks used simply to locate a component within the downhole tubular.
In this case a lower class of material may be specified as once 'in situ' it has served its
purpose.

o Fishing necks to temporarily locate equipment within the downhole tubular. In

this case a lower class of material may be specified, as the time spent downhole will be
short.

o Fishing necks used to retrieve important items of equipment that will be located
downhole long term. In this case a high integrity nipple is required to ensure that the
equipment can be retrieved when required, hence higher metallurgies are often specified.
An example of this is a wire-line retrievable safety valve.

3.1.3. Down Hole Safety Valves (DHSVs)

API Spec.14A and RP 14B are the 'base' standards used for DHSVs. API Spec 14A
provides three classifications of service, i.e.

Class 1 - Standard Service. Suitable for service in oil and gas wells where it is not
exposed to sand production or stress corrosion cracking.

Class 2 - Sandy Service. In addition to Class 1, the valve is also suitable for use in oil or
gas wells where solids, e.g. sand, could be expected to cause valve malfunction in the
future.

Class 3 - Stress Corrosion Cracking Service. In addition to Classes 1 and 2, the valve is
suitable for use in oil or gas wells where corrosive agents could cause stress corrosion
cracking. Within Class 3 there are two sub-divisions, 3S for sulphide stress cracking and
3C for chloride stress cracking.

These classifications rarely provide sufficient information for selecting the DHSV
materials. It is more usual to see a materials specification such as "9Cr 1Mo flow path" or
"Incoloy 925" specified.

3.1.4. Mixtures of metals

Downhole jewellery components are often complex, containing many different parts and
many different materials. It is not possible, or indeed desirable, to specify the materials for
all the parts. Rather, a 'generic' material is specified covering the major water-wetted parts
(e.g. for DHSVs the flow tube, piston, etc.), it is then left to the supplier to demonstrate
the compatibility and fitness-for-purpose of materials used for other individual parts. For
example, the supplier may be asked to provide BPX with a materials list for the various
parts of a valve together with past service history and this will be reviewed by a BPX
metallurgist. Alternatively, past service history alone may be taken as providing sufficient
proof that the component will perform satisfactorily over the required life, especially if this
experience was within the Asset.

An issue that needs to be considered with the wide range of materials in downhole
jewellery components is galvanic corrosion. This is the preferential corrosion that can
occur to a metal when two different metals are electrically coupled in a corrosive
environment. In such a couple, one of the metals will act as an 'anode' (i.e. it will corrode
at an enhanced rate), whereas the other will act as a 'cathode' (i.e. there will be a certain
degree of protection). The susceptibility of a metal couple to galvanic corrosion of the
'anodic' metal is influenced by a number of factors, including the conductivity of the
corrosive media and the relative surface area of the two metals.

In mixed metal items such as downhole safety valves the manufacturer should be able to
advise on compatibility of the different metals, e.g. from previous service experience,
laboratory testing, etc. If there is any doubt, consult the relevant corrosion specialist/s.

If galvanic corrosion between CRA jewellery and carbon steel tubulars is a concern,
consideration should be given to installing an internally coated CRA between the
components. In general, 9Cr-1Mo or 13%Cr steel against C-steel is not a concern, the
major concern is for the higher metallurgies, e.g. nickel alloys, against carbon steel.

3.1.5. Sour Service

An important aspect to consider is whether the service conditions are expected to be

'sour'. If sour conditions are anticipated then it is important to ensure that the materials
specified conform with NACE MR0175 (latest edition). This may impose hardness limits
on many materials (e.g. 13%Cr steel 23HRC max; 17/4PH stainless steel 33HRC max;
Inconel 625 35HRC max; etc.) and/or may impose specific material conditions/heat
treatments for some materials (e.g. 13%Cr steel, 17/4PH stainless steel, Inconel 718, etc.).

3.1.6. Welding

The manufacture of a number of down hole jewellery components relies on the use of
welded construction, eg. sand screens, side pocket mandrels and LTBS windows.
Relatively high strength and/or corrosion resistant alloys (e.g. 13%Cr steel) are generally
used in the manufacture of downhole components and particular care is needed when
welding these materials to ensure maximum service integrity. While many of these alloys
can be successfully welded it is essential that the manufacturers have spent sufficient time
developing and qualifying appropriate techniques, establishing the need for preheating,
post weld heat treatment and verifying that the welded components possess adequate
mechanical properties, toughness and corrosion resistance for the intended duty.
Procedures must also be in place to ensure an appropriate level of QA/QC during
welding/manufacture.
3.1.7. Tubing Hangers

This is a critical item in the well, as failure could result in the tubing string being lost.
Therefore, a more corrosion resistant material may be required to ensure integrity. For
example, Gyda use an Inconel 718 tubing hanger with 13%Cr tubulars, Forties and
Foinaven use an Inconel 625 weld overlaid tubing hanger with 13%Cr tubulars.

3.1.8. Jewellery for use with plastic coated tubulars (PCT) in water-injection duty

The use of plastic coated tubulars (PCT) in water-injection duty is still fairly new within
BPX, such that there is not any track record of the performance of the uncoated downhole
jewellery materials. The main jewellery materials that have been used within BPX are
those that have been used for 'bare steel' water injection completions, e.g. low alloy steel
(such as AISI4140), 9Cr-1Mo steel and 13%Cr steel.

One concern is that the good service history of these materials in 'bare steel' water
injection completions will not be repeated for PCT completions. There are two reasons for
this, firstly in the past the carbon steel tubulars may have effectively 'scavenged' any
residual oxygen out of the injection water (as a result of self corrosion), such that the
downhole jewellery materials will not have 'seen' the residual oxygen in the injection
water. This will not be the case for PCT tubing, exposing the jewellery materials to a more
aggressive corrosive environment. Secondly, the corrosion-resistant alloy (9Cr-1Mo steel,
13%Cr steel) jewellery materials may have benefited from galvanic coupling to the carbon
steel tubulars, as they would be the cathode in any such couple. This would result in a
slight increase in the corrosion of the carbon steel and a decrease in the corrosion of the
corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA). Only by gathering service history will it be possible to
establish whether this concern is justified or not. In the meantime, it is recommended that
the situation is monitored to ensure that 'best practice' can be applied to the particular
application.

Another concern is that small breaks ('holidays') within the coating close to bare CRA
jewellery component may result in greatly accelerated corrosion of the small areas of bare
carbon steel. In such a galvanic couple there would be a large area of cathode (the bare
CRA) and a very small area of anode (the bare areas of carbon steel), such that there will
be a large driving force for corrosion. To alleviate this type of problem, it is recommended
that a coated pup-piece (at least 10 pipe diameters long) of the CRA is placed between the
plastic coated carbon steel and the uncoated CRA. This will help 'separate' the galvanic
couple (increasing the distance between the anode and cathode greatly reduces the driving
force for galvanic corrosion), even if small holidays occur in the coatings the relative
exposed surface areas are unlikely to be vastly different.
3.2. Elastomers

3.2.1. Elastomer seal qualification

Throughout the oilfield industry, many methods are used to qualify seals as "fit-for-
purpose". With the exception of proven field history, it should be emphasised that it is
unwise to rely solely on any one single test method - tests should be regarded as a suite of
complimentary techniques, which when taken together can give data with which the best
selection can be made. The tests commonly used to qualify seals include:

Immersion/retained property measurement - Laboratory conditioning of elastomers in

simulated oilfield environments, usually referred to as immersion or retained property
testing, is a widely used method for assessing the suitability of elastomers for use in a
given service. In trying to apply retained property data to seal selection, great care needs
to be exercised. This type of data is clearly suited to rough screening for gross chemical
incompatibilities, and to applications where rubber is used in sheet form, eg diaphragms,
bladders etc. However, outside of these, retained property data can be misleading, unless
its limitations are clearly understood. Important points to note are:
i. Retained property data is almost always reported as percentage changes in properties,
thus obscuring absolute properties;
ii. Retained property methods inevitably lead to the overemphasis of chemical resistance,
to the distinct detriment of thermomechanical properties;
iii. The relevance of tensile mechanical properties to sealing in what are essentially
compressive modes is questionable.

Seal rig testing - Oilfield completion OEMs routinely use seal rig tests to qualify
materials, eg short term extrusion tests of various seal geometries, and growth tests to
simulate the effect of running into hole. These simple tests provide some information
regarding the capability of a given seal and/or material in the field within equipment.

Equipment testing - The equipment vendors routinely carry out equipment tests under
simulated field conditions, as part of their qualification procedure. This sort of information
is not openly available. However, suppliers will normally offer it if requested in connection
with a particular application, and under any circumstances where there is doubt over the
performance of a seal in a certain environment. Such tests are normally short term in
duration, due to expense of this sort of facility. The BP user is encouraged to press the
supplier for as much of this sort of test data as possible in justification of any material
selection. BP is currently participating in a JIP to devise test procedures for PBR seal
stacks.

Accelerated seal testing - Accelerated testing methods have been developed over the
years by Cooper and FMC, among others. In this sort of testing, elevated temperatures are
used to reduce failure times to practical levels. Seal-life estimates for more realistic service
temperatures are made by extrapolating test data through an Arrhenius approach to
chemical reaction. It is clear that this method represents a major step forward from the
retained property approach, as it considers actual seals operating to failure, ie leakage.

Proven field history - Undoubtedly the best qualification for any seal or seal material is a
proven field history, involving actual working seals exposed to actual environments.
Provided it is suitably documented, this is the only qualification method which can be used
alone, and which is universally perceived as valid.

3.2.2. Production chemicals

Production chemicals play a major role in the selection of elastomeric seals. When
selecting seals it is important to have as clear a definition as possible of the chemicals to be
used. In particular, the potential use of aromatic solvents, amines, acids and alkalis must
be considered in the selection process. The effect of "new" chemicals on completed wells
must be assessed before use.

3.2.3. Effect of seal size/constraint

All compression packers involve the use of bulky elastomer rings which are generally well
constrained. In particular, permanent packers incorporate extensive anti-extrusion
mechanisms, using metallic and plastic materials, to ensure that the elastomer is retained
in the sealing area. The effect of the seal size and high degree of constraint is such that
packers of a particular material are rated to higher temperature and used in more severe
chemical environments than the same materials in small section seals. In retrievable
packers, the anti-extrusion support has to be less extensive in order to make the
equipment retrievable. Pressure and temperature capabilities are generally, therefore,
lower than permanent packers of equivalent materials.

3.2.4. Mechanical properties versus chemical resistance

When selecting elastomers, the compromise between mechanical properties and chemical
resistance should always be remembered. Nitrile materials and their derivatives have much
better mechanical properties than the fluoroelastomers, and so improvement of the
chemical resistance of a seal is inevitably made at the expense of mechanical properties.

3.2.5. Thermal expansion and low temperature effects

In addition to maximum operating temperature, two other temperature related effects are
important.

The first is thermal expansion. Rubbers generally have much larger coefficients of thermal
expansion than metals. Rapid cooling may, therefore, lead to leaks as the rubber contracts
away from sealing surfaces. Such leaks may be transient if the elastomer is able to
mechanically recover.
The second effect is that, when cooled, all elastomers exhibit a "freezing temperature",
where the material changes from being flexible and highly elastic, to being hard, stiff, and
brittle. The temperature of this change is characterised by the glass transition temperature,
Tg. A seal material will only effectively function if it is slightly above its Tg. Of particular
note are the low temperature properties of the fluoroelastomers, in general, and TFEP
Aflas in particular. Heated baths may be needed for pressure testing of equipment
employing these materials.

These two effects mean that the qualification of seals under extremes of temperature and
pressure may well not be valid at low pressure or low temperature.

3.2.6. Bonded v V-stacks v AVA crimp seals

There are a number of seal geometries used for stab-in type seals and for packer bore
seals:

i. Bonded seals - Bonded or "moulded seals" are mechanically tough, and can be
withdrawn from a seal bore under pressure. Many manufacturers offer nitrile bonded
seals, and Halliburton only offer nitrile in bonded form. Other materials options are
limited, although FKM (Viton/Fluorel) fluoroelastomer bonded seals are often available.

ii. Chevron or V-stacks - V-stacks allow a combinations of materials to be selected

according to environment. V-stack seals usually combine elastomeric and thermoplastic
materials - the elastomer provides a flexible seal, the plastic anti-extrusion support. Some
materials are fibre reinforced for superior pressure capabilities.

iii. AVA crimp seal - AVA crimp seals use a metal ring crimped around the elastomer
element once it has been fitted into its groove to retain the seal in its groove during
service. These seals are dimensionally compact and can be used on high pressure, small
diameter equipment. Crimp seals employ a positive interference for energisation and do
not exhibit such high friction values as other stab-in seals in high pressure applications. As
the metal crimp ring retains the elastomer element in its groove, these seals can be
unloaded under pressure. Crimp seals are available in all the standard oilfield materials
options, with PEEK or Ryton back-ups incorporated where service pressure demands.

3.2.7. The effect of RIH

During RIH, seals will be exposed to a well environment for anything between a few
hours to a few days. There are two effects to consider. Firstly, there will be chemical
interaction with the well contents, invariably leading to swelling. This should not be so
large as to compromise the equipment function or setting. Secondly, since the thermal
expansion of elastomers is higher than metals the seals will expand relative to the metal
work as the seal goes deeper downhole. In the case of tools passing narrow restrictions,
seal outer diameters need to be sized to take both of these growth effects into account.
3.2.8. Safety valve seals

There are several seal selections to be made in safety valves. Firstly, the main closure is
usually made using either a ball valve mechanism or a wedge shaped, slam closure, flapper
mechanism. The ball valve designs are generally more complex and more prone to erosion
damage, and flapper designs are now often preferred. The primary seal is normally metal
to metal, with a resilient secondary seal. This resilient seal is of particular importance for
effective sealing in sandy conditions. Dimensional stability is paramount to the operation
of this seal, and so FKM (Viton/Fluorel) materials are the preferred standard elastomer
option. PTFE is generally used where there is any question of chemical compatibility.
Other valve face seals, such as in gas lift valves, may be O-rings or special mouldings, and
materials options are normally manifold.

Secondly, there has been a growing trend to develop safety valves incorporating
completely non-elastomeric seal options. For example, Baker's elastomer sealed safety
valves use backed-up O-rings on all static seals, and T-seals for all dynamic seals. The
non-elastomeric tubing retrievable safety valve series use premium threads on all static
joints, while the valve itself utilises the so-called "non-elastomeric rod piston actuator". In
this mechanism, all pressure holding seals are metal-to-metal. PTFE wipers are included
as debris barriers to protect these seals. All manufacturers can now offer similar
technology.

4. SELECTION OF MATERIALS.

The first step in the selection of any material is to define the service conditions. The
conditions under which the items of jewellery will operate must be defined as accurately as
possible. ALL eventualities and possibilities should be taken into account to ensure
optimal materials selection, including the range of temperature and pressure, and the
complete fluid environment with likely production chemicals.

4.1. Metallic Materials.

Materials Selection Tables (1.1. to 1.3.) are included in Appendix 1. The Tables are based
upon the downhole tubular material, which it is assumed had been specified prior to
selecting the materials for downhole jewellery. Guidance on selection of the downhole
tubular material is given in a separate document (1).

It is not intended that these charts should be "all encompassing". The intention is to flag
the major considerations that need to be made in selecting materials for downhole
jewellery and indicate the 'generic' materials for the application, e.g. "13%Cr steel", "9Cr-
1Mo steel". With the complex issues that are involved in materials selection and the fact
that many components of downhole jewellery are 'proprietary' items often containing a
mixture of materials there are bound to be omissions. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the
user of these charts to ensure that all necessary aspects of materials selection have been
addressed before final specification of the materials. With the proprietary designs involved
in downhole jewellery a large emphasis should be placed on 'previous experience'.

For the super 13%Cr alloy and plastic coated steel tubulars, as these are relatively new
classes of tubular materials within BPX experience is very limited. Therefore, it is not
possible to be definitive in the choice of materials for downhole jewellery. The jewellery
materials suggested for these downhole tubulars in Tables 1.1. through 1.3. should be
taken as purely indicative and the advice of a suitable specialist should be sought. A study
of materials selection for downhole jewellery in these cases is planned for the 1996 R&D
programme, after which more definitive advice on jewellery materials should be available.
In particular, for the super 13%Cr alloys in sour conditions at present the same jewellery
materials for duplex stainless steel tubulars have been indicated. As part of the 1996 R&D
programme cheaper alternatives will be sought.

4.2. Elastomers

The BPX Elastomer Selection Guidelines details a four step seal selection process, in
which Steps 1 through 4 should be completed as far as possible in order and inclusive. The
selection process is designed to take account of the major causes of elastomer seal failure
- chemical degradation in Step 3, and extrusion and explosive decompression in Step 4.

Step 1: Define the service conditions

As stated above, ALL eventualities and possibilities should be taken into account to
ensure optimal materials selection, including the range of temperature and pressure, and
the complete fluid environment, with likely production chemicals. In many sealing
applications, there may be a choice between elastomer, plastic and metal seal options. The
basic service definition can first of all, therefore, be used to select the most appropriate
material type.

Step 2: Use the equipment application to determine Seal geometry

There are a large number of seal geometries used in downhole completions:
i. Standard compression packers - seal annuli between concentric tubing;
ii. Inflatable packers - either fluid or cement inflated;
iii. Small section static seals - mainly in the form of O-rings;
iv. Small section dynamic seals - T-Seals, V-stacks and bonded seals.

Step 3: Use temperature, chemistry & required seal life to determine Material class
In oil production duties, nitrile is the standard choice for sweet conditions, up to
approximately 100°C. In sour conditions and at temperatures above 100°C, FKM
(Viton/Fluorel) fluoroelastomers become standard. TFEP (Aflas) materials are selected if
amine corrosion inhibitors are present at elevated temperature, while Chemraz and Kalrez
are used only in hot or chemically very aggressive environments. Within the BPX
Elastomer Selection Guidelines, materials selection checklists have been compiled as an
aid to materials selection. Included here are the checklists designed for small section seals
and packers in downhole equipment. Each checklist consists of a series of statements for
each material, describing certain limitations of each material, which disqualify it from use
in a given circumstance. If any of the statements is applicable in a certain application, that
material should not be used, and the next upgrade needs to be considered. The checklists
are constructed to be slightly conservative in the selections they give, and to provoke
detailed considerations of seal selection with equipment vendors.

Step 4: Use pressure to determine Material grade

Service pressure determines the requirements for resistance to extrusion and explosive
decompression damage. Hence, it defines the required material hardness, modulus, and
tensile strength, ie the grade required.

i. Extrusion - There is a basic interdependence of material hardness, applied pressure and

gap to be sealed (see Table 2.1.). In order to increase the pressure holding capability of
any elastomer seal, various anti-extrusion, or back-up, devices may be used. With O-ring
seals, plastic back-up rings may be employed (- should always be employed with TFEP
Aflas and Kalrez/Chemraz). PTFE back-ups may be conservatively rated to a maximum of
5000 psi, and PEEK and Ryton to 10000 psi. T-seals, with built in back-ups, are to be
preferred in high pressure applications. V-stacks which incorporate only PTFE may be
used to around 5000 psi, while if Ryton or PEEK are incorporated, the pressure rating
rises to around 10000 psi. For > 10000 psi applications, some sort of deformable, metallic
support, such as knitted wire mesh, is normally required in addition. The pressure limits of
packer materials vary with the amount of support which can be built into the design. Thus,
a material of a given hardness will be rated to a higher pressure in permanent packers
where there is a large degree of metallic and plastic support than in retrievable packers,
which by nature of their function cannot include, for example, soft metal back-up devices.
For the majority of oilfield applications, the use of 90-80-90 packer element stacks is to be
recommended.

ii. Explosive decompression (ED) - The effects of ED must be normally be considered in

all high pressure gas applications. However, downhole the effects of ED are most often
seen on tool or seal retrieval. Only in shallow gas applications, eg shallow set safety
valves, is ED ever a real problem downhole. Seal design (seal cross-section and initial
compression) and materials selection must be appropriate. The effect of ED on elastomers
increases with pressure, as shown in Table 2.2. For pressures above 1000 psi, the use of
specially formulated ED resistant compounds should be used, ie FKM (Viton/Fluorel)
compounds such as James Walker FR58/90 and Greene Tweed 926; or the newer HNBRs,
such as JW Elast-O-Lion.

This four step seal selection process can be applied to all downhole equipment in a
rigorous fashion. As an example, Table 2.3. shows the seal selection adopted for new
Magnus gas lift completions. Essentially, the completion is broken down into individual
pieces of equipment, and from there down to individual seals and service conditions. A
"BP preference" was then rationalised by an iterative process of exchange of views,
experience and test data between BP and the various vendors. This is a most effective way
of ensuring that seals are appropriately selected.

5. TYPICAL MATERIALS USED FOR DOWNHOLE JEWELLERY.

5.1 Metallic Materials.

Many of the materials used for downhole jewellery have limited weldability, as a result of
either heat treatment (quench + temper, precipitation hardenening) or cold work to
increase the strength. It is recommended that the relevant specialist is contacted before
undertaking any welding of these materials or where the manufacture of downhole
components involves welding.

5.1.1. Low Alloy Steels.

The most common low alloy steel used for downhole jewellery is AISI 4140. This is a heat
treatable 0.4%C steel containing 1%Cr and 0.25%Mo. The required strength is achieved
by quenching and tempering heat treatments. The corrosion resistance will be similar to
that for carbon steel downhole tubulars. The AISI 41XX materials are generally
acceptable within NACE MR0175 up to a hardness of 26HRC, as long as they are in the
quench and tempered condition. Reference should be made to section 3.2.3. of NACE
MR0175 for further details. All carbon and low alloy steels are acceptable within NACE
MR0175 up to a hardness of 22 HRC, subject to the conditions of section 3.2. of NACE
MR0175.

5.1.2. 9Cr-1Mo Steel

This is the lowest alloyed of the "corrosion resistant alloys" used for downhole jewellery.
It is not truly a stainless steel, which are normally taken as steels with more than 12%Cr
(i.e. the minimum required to develop a passive layer). It has better general corrosion
resistance than the low alloy steels, but is prone to pitting and crevice corrosion under any
but the most mildly corrosive conditions. This material is acceptable within NACE
MR0175 (3) up to a maximum hardness of 22HRC.

5.1.3. 13%Cr Steel

13%Cr steels have improved pitting and crevice corrosion resistance compared with 9Cr-
1Mo steel. With the increased availability of 13%Cr steel bar stock it has largely replaced
9Cr-1Mo steel.

There are many types of 13%Cr steel, the most commonly used for downhole jewellery
are API 5CT L80 13CR, AISI 410 and AISI 420 Modified. These materials are
considered in more detail later in this section. These materials are acceptable for sour
service, with some restrictions on environment and hardness (see Reference 1 and NACE
MR-0175.).

For 13%Cr jewellery components the following criteria should be applied:

(i) The material shall be in the quenched and tempered condition*

(ii) The material shall conform with API 5CT latest edition, specifically:

. The chemical analysis shall conform with API 5CT Table 2, unless agreed
otherwise with the BP metallurgist.

. Charpy tests shall be performed according to API 5CT supplementary

requirements SR16 at -10oC (14oF). The minimum average Charpy shall be
40J at -10oC, with no individual value less than 30J for components
manufactured from 13%Cr steel L80 tubing stock. The minimum average
Charpy shall be 20J at -10oC, with no individual value less than 15J for
components manufactured from 13%Cr steel bar stock.
(Note that these requirements are specifically for North Sea applications.
Charpy test requirements may vary for other parts of the world. Contact the
relevant specialist if in any doubt.)

. The mechanical properties shall conform with API 5CT L80 13Cr grade in
API 5CT Table 3, unless agreed otherwise with the BP metallurgist.

. Non-destructive examination shall be by ultrasonic examination to API 5CT

supplementary requirements SR2.

(iii) The material hardness shall not exceed 23 Rockwell C

(iv) When hot forging a reduction ratio of at least 4 to 1 shall be used

(v) The internal surface shall be blast cleaned with Garnet or stainless steel shot to
Swedish Standard SA 2-1/2

(vi) The drift shall be 42" long and non-metallic

(vii) A storage coating shall be applied to internal and external surfaces

(viii) Thread protectors shall be fitted with storage compound Rust Veto AS or
approved alternative.

AISI 410 and AISI 420 are two of the 13%Cr steel grades commonly used for downhole
jewellery. In principle, both these grades are acceptable. However, each has special
requirements:
AISI 420 is unable to meet the criteria of API 5CT L80 13%Cr steel in terms of the
chemical analysis. For example, the API 5CT L80 13Cr grade has a carbon range of 0.15
to 0.22 %, whereas the 'standard' AISI 420 13%Cr steel has a minimum carbon content of
0.15% and no specified maximum. This has led to the development of a modified grade of
AISI 420 for use in the manufacture of jewellery equipment (known as 420 MOD), which
has a restricted carbon content range of 0.15% to 0.22% together with restrictions on
sulphur and phosphorous to bring it into line with API 5CT L80 13Cr. If an AISI 420
grade of 13%Cr steel is offered for the manufacture of downhole jewellery, ensure that it
is the modified version.

AISI 410 is unable to meet the criteria of API 5CT L80 13%Cr steel in terms of the
carbon content. It has a maximum specified carbon content of 0.15% and no specified
minimum. Thus the carbon content will be lower than the range for API 5CT L80 13Cr .
However, its use is acceptable as long as the other criteria detailed above are complied
with (many manufacturers specify a minimum carbon content of around 0.08% for 410 to
achieve the mechanical property requirements). In respect of other chemical requirements
the manufacturer should comply with API 5CT L80 13Cr (e.g. the chromium,
phosphorous and sulphur ranges).

(*) To fully comply with NACE MR-0175 AISI 410 should be subjected to a "quench and
double temper" heat treatment as follows:

(1) Austentize and quench; (2) Temper at 620oC (1150oF) minimum then cool to ambient
temperature; (3) Temper at 620oC (1150oF) minimum, but cooler than the first tempering
temperature, then cool to ambient temperature.

5.1.4. 13%Cr Alloys

ASTM F6NM is the most common of the 13%Cr martensitic alloys used for downhole
jewellery. This alloy contains nominally 4% nickel and 0.5% molybdenum. It is a forging
used, for example, for tubing hangers. This material is acceptable within NACE MR0175
up to a maximum hardness of 23HRC, as long as it complies with the three stage heat
treatment procedure in section 3.7.2. of NACE MR0175.

Many steel manufacturers are now beginning to develop 13%Cr martensitic alloys for use
as downhole tubulars, etc. These are known as 'super 13Cr alloys'. There are a range of
chemical compositions, but typically they are 13%Cr steels containing nickel and
molybdenum. These materials are acceptable for sour service, with some restrictions on
environment and hardness. (see reference 1 and NACE MR-0175.).
5.1.5. Custom 450

This is a 15%Cr alloy containing nickel, copper and molybdenum. It is a martensitic

precipitation hardenable steel, which means it achieves its strength by heat treatment
rather than cold work. This material is acceptable within NACE MR0175 up to a
maximum hardness of 23HRC, with a specific two stage heat treatment i.e. (1) solution
anneal; (2) precipitation harden at 620°C for 4 hours.

5.1.6. 17/4PH Stainless Steel

This is a martensitic precipitation hardenable stainless steel, which means it achieves its
strength by heat treatment rather than cold work. It has good resistance to corrosion, but
is prone to pitting/crevice corrosion in oxygen containing chloride waters. This material is
acceptable within NACE MR0175 up to a maximum hardness of 33HRC, as long as it has
been heat treated in line with section 3.8.1.1. or 3.8.1.2. of the NACE MR0175 standard.

5.1.7. Austenitic Stainless Steels

AISI 316

This is an austenitic chromium/nickel/molybdenum containing stainless steel. It is not

hardenable by heat treatment and is usually used in the annealed condition. Hence it is not
normally suitable for high strength applications. It is normally used in the manufacture of
small valves (e.g. gas lift orifice valves) or as a wire material for the manufacture of wire-
wraps for sand screens. This material is acceptable within NACE MR0175 in the annealed
condition up to a maximum hardness of 22HRC.

AISI 304

This is an austenitic chromium/nickel containing stainless steel. It is not hardenable by heat

treatment and is usually used in the annealed condition. AISI 304 has inferior pitting and
crevice resistance compared with AISI 316. Hence, it is rarely used for downhole
jewellery components, except for 'non critical' components that are not flow wetted. This
material is acceptable within NACE MR0175 in the annealed condition up to a maximum
hardness of 22HRC.

Super Austentic Stainless Steels

There are a number of proprietary highly alloyed or 'Super' austenitic stainless steels that
are used in the manufacture of downhole jewellery. Typically these will have significantly
higher chromium and nickel contents than AISI 304/316. The required high strength is
achieved via cold working. The more common ones are:
Sanicro 28

Nominally a 27%Cr/31%Ni/3.5%Mo/1%Cu austenitic stainless steel with excellent

corrosion resistance. This material is acceptable within NACE MR0175 in the solution
annealed or cold worked conditions up to a maximum hardness of 33HRC

Sumitomo SM2535

Nominally a 25%Cr/35%Ni/3%Mo austenitic stainless steel with excellent corrosion

resistance. This material was used in Miller (e.g. as a liner material). For sour conditions
the material can be used in the solution annealed or cold worked condition up to a
maximum hardness of 37HRC.

Avesta 254SMO

Nominally a 20%Cr/18%Ni/6%Mo austenitic stainless steel with excellent corrosion

resistance. This wrought material is acceptable within NACE MR0175 in the annealed or
cold worked conditions up to a maximum hardness of 35HRC.

5.1.8. Duplex Stainless Steels.

Duplex stainless steels are dual phase alloys containing austenite and ferrite (at a nominal
1:1 ratio). This is achieved by careful control of the material chemistry. These materials
are acceptable for sour service, with some restrictions on environment and hardness. (see
reference (1) and NACE MR-0175.).

Heat treatment control of these alloys is difficult, particularly in thick sections. Also
maintenance of dimensional control during precision machining can be a problem. Hence
these alloys have limited applications in downhole jewellery.

Duplex Stainless Steel

There are a number of duplex stainless steels on the market. These fall into two broad
classes known as "22Cr duplex stainless steel" and "25Cr duplex stainless steels. Broadly
speaking the 25Cr duplex stainless steels have better pitting and stress corrosion cracking
resistance, but are more expensive.

Both the 22Cr and 25Cr alloys find application as production tubulars in CO2/Cl-
environments provided the H2S level is not too high.

"Super" Duplex Stainless Steel

These materials are based on 25Cr duplex stainless steel. They have improved pitting and
stress corrosion cracking resistance to the 'regular' 25Cr duplex stainless steel, hence the
prefix 'super'. This is achieved by the addition of nitrogen and tungsten alloying elements.
The materials were designed essentially for untreated sea water duty.

5.1.9. Nickel Alloys

Monel 400

Monel 400 is an alloy of nickel and copper. It is a non-heat treatable alloy, which means
that any increased strength requirements must be achieved by cold work. Generally it has
good corrosion resistance, particularly in CO2/Cl- service. It is acceptable within NACE
MR0175 up to a hardness of 35HRC.

Monel K500

This is a precipitation hardenable alloy of nickel and copper, which means it achieves its
high strength by heat treatment rather than cold work. Generally it has good corrosion
resistance. It is acceptable within NACE MR0175 up to a hardness of 35HRC in the
following heat treatment conditions: (1) hot-worked and age hardened; (2) solution-
annealed; (3) solution-annealed and age-hardened. Monel K 500 has largely been
superseded as a jewellery material due to its high cost. There are also concerns of
hydrogen embrittlement of Monel K500 when in galvanic contact with less noble
materials.

Incoloy 825

This is a nickel-iron-chromium-molybdenum corrosion resistant alloy. The alloy is not heat

treatable, so that it depends upon cold work to achieve high strength. This material is
acceptable within NACE MR0175 up to a maximum hardness of 35HRC.

Incoloy 925

This is a precipitation hardenable version of Incoloy 825 (nickel-iron-chromium-

molybdenum alloy). The heat treatable nature means that higher strengths are achievable
than for Incoloy 825. It has excellent corrosion resistance and is used a lot in DHSVs. It is
acceptable within NACE MR0175 in one of five heat treatment conditions: (1) cold
worked to 35HRC max.; (2) solution annealed to 35HRC max.; (3) solution annealed and
aged to 38HRC max.; (4) cold worked and aged to 40HRC max.; (5) hot finished and
aged to 40HRC max.

Inconel 718

This is a precipitation hardenable nickel-iron-chromium alloy. It is used within DHSVs for

components such as end subs (e.g. Foinaven). Wrought 718 is acceptable within NACE
MR0175 in one of four conditions: (1) solution annealed to 35HRC max.; (2) hot worked
to 35HRC max.; (3) hot worked and aged to 35HRC max.; (4) solution annealed and aged
to 40HRC max.. In addition, the cast version is acceptable in the solution annealed and
aged condition to 40HRC max.

Inconel X-750

This is a precipitation hardenable nickel-chromium alloy. It is used within DHSVs as a

spring material. It is acceptable within NACE MR-0175 to a maximum hardness of
35HRC in one of four conditions: (1) solution annealed and aged; (2) solution annealed;
(3) hot worked; (4) hot worked and aged.

Inconel 625

This is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy that is most commonly used as a weld

overlay for downhole jewellery components, e.g. for some tubing hangers, in seal areas. It
is also often used as a weld overlay for the water wetted areas of Xmas trees. As such, it
will be in the fully annealed condition. "Solid" Inconel 625 components are also acceptable
within NACE MR0175 up to a maximum hardness of 35HRC. This alloy has outstanding
corrosion resistance in practically all well environments.

Alloy G3

This is a nickel-iron-chromium-molybdenum alloy. The alloy is not heat treatable, so that

it depends upon cold work to achieve high strength. It is acceptable within NACE MR-
0175 to a maximum hardness of 39HRC.

Alloy C-276

This is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy. The alloy is not heat treatable, so that it

depends upon cold work to achieve high strength. It is acceptable within NACE MR-0175
in the solution annealed or the solution annealed plus cold worked condition up to
35HRC. It is also acceptable within NACE MR-0175 in the cold worked plus unaged
condition up to 45HRC, as long as the minimum operating temperature in the well is
120oC (250oF)

5.1.10. Cobalt Alloys

These are most commonly used as spring materials for sour service DHSVs, due to the
excellent corrosion/stress corrosion resistance and high acceptable hardnesses within
NACE MR-0175. Examples used in downhole jewellery include:

Elgiloy

This is a cobalt alloy containing chromium, nickel, molybdenum and iron. It is acceptable
within NACE MR0175 up to a maximum hardness of 35HRC.
MP35N

This is a cobalt alloy containing nickel, chromium and molybdenum. It is acceptable within
NACE MR0175 up to a maximum hardness of 35HRC, or up to a maximum hardness of
51HRC in the cold reduced and high temperature aged condition (see NACE MR0175 for
further details on times and temperatures).

Stellite

This is a range of cobalt alloys containing chromium and tungsten. It is selected for its
good wear resistance, as such it is often used as a weld overlaid hardfacing material (e.g.
for valve seats).

5.1.11. Titanium Alloys

Titanium alloys are very rarely used for downhole jewellery, although they are gathering
favour for raw sea water injection schemes. There are a number of titanium alloys,
although the most common contain aluminium and vanadium (e.g. Ti-6Al-4V). Titanium
alloys are incorporated into NACE, although it warns that specific guidelines must be
followed. For example, hydrogen embrittlement of titanium alloys may occur if
galvanically coupled to more anodic materials (e.g. carbon steel) in sour environments.
Also some titanium alloys are prone to crevice corrosion and/or stress corrosion cracking
in chloride environments. Seek advice from a relevant specialist before using.

5.1.12. Tungsten Carbide

This material is rarely used in downhole jewellery components. It is selected for its
excellent wear resistance, as such it is normally used as a weld overlaid hardfacing material
(the particles of tungsten carbide are often contained with a metal matrix).

5.2. Elastomers.

5.2.1. NBR Nitrile

Nitrile rubbers are the most widely used elastomers in the oilfield, due to an excellent
combination of chemical and mechanical properties, combined with straightforward
processing. As a result, they are relatively inexpensive, and widely available.

Nitrile base polymers are manufactured from acrylonitrile and butadiene. The acrylonitrile
content may vary from 20 to 50 % by weight, but more typically from 28 to 41 %. The
acrylonitrile group is responsible for the detailed chemical capabilities of the polymer, eg
as the acrylonitrile content increases, tensile strength, oil resistance, abrasion resistance,
and heat resistance increase, while resilience, low temp flexibility, and H2S resistance
decrease.
Nitriles may be used up to around 120°C in a wide variety of oilfield duties, but are
generally not recommended for service in solvents with a high (>5%) aromatic content,
halogenated hydrocarbons, acetic acid, peroxides, organic and phosphate esters, or strong
acids. Hydrogen sulphide causes embrittlement in nitriles, primarily through attack of the
acrylonitrile group. Nitriles should not normally be used where hydrogen sulphide exceeds
100 ppm, although larger section seals such as packers may be able to withstand some
attack and remain functional. Amine corrosion inhibitors and zinc bromide (and to a lesser
extent sodium bromide) brines may also have a very serious hardening effect on nitrile
rubbers.

HNBR (Hydrogenated nitrile) materials are currently being introduced into more
widespread oilfield applications, including downhole, primarily because they combine
good mechanical properties and simple processing, with temperature capabilities higher
than the conventional nitriles. However, HNBRs retain a similar dependence on
acrylonitrile content (34-44%) for physical and chemical properties, and similar general
chemical capabilities, ie problems with aromatic, H2S, amines etc. Field data is somewhat
limited, but materials developments are continuing, especially at the low temperature end.

5.2.2. FKM Fluoroelastomers (Viton, Fluorel)

FKM fluorocarbon elastomers are often known by the Du Pont tradename, "Viton",
although other similar polymers, especially Fluorel from 3M, are also widely used. These
materials are noted for their high temperature capabilities (to around 200°C) and excellent
general chemical resistance. It is important to understand that although all FKMs are
based on the vinylidene fluoride (VF2) monomer, there are a number of chemically
different types of FKM fluoroelastomers depending on the other monomers employed.
There are two basic types: copolymers, eg "Viton A" and terpolymers, eg "Viton B". In
addition to these two basic types, there are a number of specialised grades, designed to
increase chemical resistance and/or low temperature properties.

Among the various FKM types, it is generally true that chemical resistance is improved by
increasing fluorine content, usually at the expense of mechanical properties as higher
fluorine imparts a greater plastic nature to the polymer.

Whilst the FKM fluoroelastomers generally all have excellent chemical resistance, within
the oilfield there are particular problems with amine based corrosion inhibitors.
Amines are curing agents for these elastomers and will harden and embrittle them. Primary
and secondary amines are particularly aggressive. Field data indicates that damage
normally occurs very rapidly when temperatures are >200oF (>88°C) and/or when the
inhibitor concentration is >0.5%. The effect is very much less marked with the peroxide
cured, highly modified FKM polymers.

FKM materials also show poor general resistance to polar solvents, such as aldehydes,
alcohols and ketones, glycol based hydraulic fluids, superheated steam, alkalis, and low
molecular weight organic acids, such as formic and acetic acids.
5.2.3. TFEP Fluoroelastomers (Aflas)

TFEP Aflas fluoroelastomers are copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene and propylene. Two

important points should be noted concerning TFEP Aflas:
i. Back-ups should always be used, as Aflas has poor extrusion resistance;
ii. Aflas has very poor ambient temperature sealing capabilities. Pressure testing of
equipment requires hot water baths, and the material cannot be relied upon to seal at
ambient temperatures, particularly in O-ring form.

The major benefits of Aflas downhole are resistance to most oil soluble corrosion
inhibitors and to water/steam at elevated temperature. Aflas is not as resistant to
hydrocarbons as the FKM (10 to 20% swell compared to 1 to 5% for FKMs, and 10 to
35% for nitriles), but has similar temperature and H2S capabilities.

5.2.4. FFKM Perfluoroelastomers (Kalrez, Chemraz)

Kalrez (Du Pont) and Chemraz (Greene Tweed) are highly fluorinated polymers, which
have chemical resistance similar to that of PTFE (Teflon), ie exceptionally good,
combined with elastic properties similar to those of FKM (Viton/Fluorel) materials.
Processing of these materials is exceptionally difficult, and as a result, only small section,
finished parts are available, the price of which is many times that of standard
fluoroelastomers.

Like TFEP (Aflas), FFKM materials have poor extrusion resistance, and anti-extrusion
back-up devices should always be used. Many FFKMs also show poor low temperature
sealing properties, and grade selection should take this into account if required.

Kalrez and Chemraz should only be used in extreme duties.

5.2.5. Back-up materials

There are three commonly used downhole back-up materials:

i. PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene, eg Teflon
ii. PEEK Polyetheretherketone, eg Arlon,
iii. PPS Polyphenylene sulphide, eg Ryton

These materials are polymers but not elastomeric, i.e. they deform plastically once the
(relatively low) elastic limit is reached. They are not generally used as primary seal
downhole, although all plastic stacks are available for extremely high temperatures. They
have excellent chemical resistance to virtually all oilfield environments, and all are
serviceable to in excess of 200°C. Substantial improvement of mechanical properties can
be made through the incorporation of fillers and reinforcements such as graphite,
molybdenum disulphide, asbestos fibres and glass fibres or powder. PEEK has higher
toughness than Ryton, and offers better performance at higher temperatures > 150°C.
6. REFERENCES.

1. J W Martin, "Guidelines for selecting downhole tubular materials with particular

reference to sour conditions", ESR.94.ER.043, April 1994.

2. S Groves, "BPX elastomer selection guidelines", ESR.93.ER.151, December 1993.

3. NACE Standard MR0175-95, "Sulfide stress cracking resistant metallic materials for
oilfield equipment", January 1995.
 APPENDIX 1.

SELECTION OF JEWELLERY METALLURGY

 SELECTION OF JEWELLERY METALLURGY

TABLE 1.1. WATER INJECTION DUTY

Tubular Generic Specific Comments

Material Jewellery Items
Material
Carbon/low 9Cr-1Mo DHSV: For mildly corrosive condition
alloy steel 13Cr or better only, i.e. with very good water
Tubing Hanger: treatment facilities (low oxygen,
Inconel 718 or good chlorine control, etc.)
equivalent
Carbon/low 13%Cr steel Tubing Hanger: This should be considered the
alloy steel Inconel 718 or 'standard' for water injection
equivalent systems
Plastic coated* 13%Cr steel Tubing Hanger: Take care if putting CRA
carbon/low- Inconel 718 or jewellery into PCT string.
alloy steel equivalent Consider coated CRA pup-
pieces (see section 3.1.4)

Service experience with these

type of jewellery materials in
PCT string within BPX is scant.
Check latest experience first.

* This is a relatively new class of tubular materials within BPX, such that experience is
limited. Therefore, it is not possible to be definitive in the choice of materials for
downhole jewellery. The jewellery materials suggested for these downhole tubulars should
be taken as purely indicative and the advice of a suitable specialist should be sought.
 SELECTION OF JEWELLERY METALLURGY

TABLE 1.2. SWEET OIL/GAS PRODUCTION

Tubular Generic Specific Comments

Material Jewellery Items
Material
Carbon/low Carbon steel/ For mildly corrosive conditions
alloy steel 9Cr-1Mo only.
Carbon/low 13%Cr steel This should be considered the
alloy steel 'standard' for carbon steel
completions
13%Cr steel 13%Cr steel Tubing Hanger:
F6NM or better
Super 13%Cr F6NM or Tubing Hanger: Very little service experience
Alloys* better F6NM or better within BPX. Check latest
experience first.

* This is a relatively new class of tubular materials within BPX, such that experience is
very limited. Therefore, it is not possible to be definitive in the choice of materials for
downhole jewellery. The jewellery materials suggested for these downhole tubulars should
be taken as purely indicative and the advice of a suitable specialist should be sought.
 SELECTION OF JEWELLERY METALLURGY

TABLE 1.3. SOUR OIL/GAS PRODUCTION

Tubular Generic Specific Comments

Material Jewellery Items
Material
Carbon/low 13%Cr steel This should be considered the
alloy steel 'standard' for carbon steel
completions

Ensure that all materials conform

with the requirements of NACE
MR0175 (latest edition)
13%Cr steel 13%Cr steel Tubing Hanger: Ensure that all materials conform
F6NM or better with the requirements of NACE
MR0175 (latest edition)
Super 13%Cr Incoloy 925; Tubing Hanger: Ensure that all materials conform
Alloys* Inconel 718 & Incoloy 718 or with the requirements of NACE
Austenitic equivalent MR0175 (latest edition)
stainless steel
(e.g. SM 2535) Very little service experience within
BPX. Check latest experience first.
Duplex Incoloy 925; Ensure that all materials conform
Stainless Steel Inconel 718 & with the requirements of NACE
Austenitic MR0175 (latest edition)
stainless steel
(e.g. SM 2535)
Hastelloy G-3 Inconel 625 Very little service experience within
overlay BPX. Check latest experience first.
&
Hastelloy alloys
(C-276, G3)

* This is a relatively new class of tubular materials within BPX, such that experience is
very limited. Therefore, it is not possible to be definitive in the choice of materials for
downhole jewellery. The jewellery materials suggested for these downhole tubulars should
be taken as purely indicative and the advice of a suitable specialist should be sought.
 APPENDIX 2.

SELECTION OF ELASTOMERIC SEALS FOR USE WITH DOWNHOLE

JEWELLERY
 CHECKLIST FOR SMALL SECTION DOWNHOLE SEAL MATERIAL
SELECTION

• T > 250°F or T < -20°F? YES NO

• H2S > 10 ppm? YES NO
• Amines at > 200°F? YES NO All No
• Zinc or sodium bromides? YES NO è Select NBR Nitrile
• Asphaltene solvents at > 200°F? YES NO
• Acid treatments at > 200°F? YES NO

ê Any YES

• T > 400°F or T < 10°F? YES NO

• H2S > 15% at T < 300°F? YES NO
• H2S > 5% at T > 300°F? YES NO All No
• Amines at > 200°F? YES NO è Select FKM (Viton/Fluorel)
• Brines pH > 10? YES NO Fluoroelastomer
• Steam/water at > 250°F? YES NO

ê Any YES

• T > 400°F or T < 80°F? YES NO

• H2S > 20% at T < 300°F? YES NO
All No
• H2S > 7% at T > 300°F? YES NO
è Select TFEP Aflas
• Asphaltene solvents at > 175°F? YES NO
• Acid treatments at > 200°F? YES NO

ê Any YES
All No
• T > 450°F or T < 40°F? YES NO è Select FFKM Chemraz

ê Any YES
All No
• T > 500°F or T < 100°F? YES NO è Select FFKM Kalrez

ê Any YES

Special application. Use other materials

Some wireline applications may exceed the limits outlined above, due to shorter life
and easier change out

Remember that within any class there will be a variation in performance between
grades - any one grade may not have the complete capability of the class as a whole.
Further details should be sought for grade selection.
CHECKLIST FOR DOWNHOLE PACKER MATERIAL SELECTION

• T > 300°F or T < 40°F? YES NO

• H2S > 100 ppm? YES NO All No
• Amines at > 250°F? YES NO è Select NBR Nitrile
• Zinc bromides? YES NO

ê Any YES

• T > 350°F or T < 40°F? YES NO

• H2S > 1000 ppm? YES NO All No
• Amines at > 300°F? YES NO è Select HNBR
Hydrogenated nitrile
• Zinc bromides? YES NO

ê Any YES

• T > 450°F or T < 40°F? YES NO

• H2S > 5%? YES NO All No
• Amines at > 200°F? YES NO è Select FKM (Viton/Fluorel)
• Brines pH > 10? YES NO Fluoroelastomer
• Steam/water at > 250°F? YES NO
• Viton/Fluorel not Available? YES NO

ê Any YES

All No
• T > 450°F or T < 80°F? YES NO è Select TFEP Aflas

ê Any YES

Special application

Please note that in the case of retrievable packers the temperature limits are
approximately 50°F below those quoted above. By nature of their function, it is not
possible to build in so much anti-extrusion support in retrievable designs, as
compared with permanent packers.

Remember that within any class there will be a variation in performance between
grades - any one grade may not have the complete capability of the class as a whole.
Further details should be sought for grade selection.
Table 2.1 Pressure capabilities of O-ring seals
All pressures in psi

Hardness/ Long term Long term Qualification Qualification

Shore A @ 70°C @ 70°C
20 thou gap 10 thou gap 20 thou gap 10 thou gap
60 -- 500 1500 3000
@ 105°C @ 105°C
70 300 1200 3000 6000
@ 135°C @ 135°C
80 800 1800 4000 8000
@ 150°C @ 150°C
90 1250 2800 5000 10000
@ 175°C @ 175°C
95 1500 3500 6000 >12000
@ 175°C @ 175°C

Table 2.2. Selecting elastomers for ED resistance

Pressure/psi 0-100 100-300 300-1000 1000-2000 >2000

Likelihood of Unlikely Slight Medium Medium risk High risk
ED damage with any chance if risk for soft for all
grade of hardness grades grades
material < 70A
Mechanical properties required
Hardness/ ≥ 60 ≥ 70 ≥ 80 ≥ 90 ≥ 90
Shore A
Mod 50/ 150-300 220-450 300-725 600-1300 >900
psi (MPa) (1-2) (1.5-3) (2-5) (4-9) (>6)

It should be noted that these pressure levels correspond very approximately with the
pressure ratings for O-rings with 20 thou gaps.
 Table 2.3. - BP preferences for Magnus gas lift completion seals
Equipment Vendor Seals Vendors primary BP preference
recommendation
Wellhead Cooper Screw packings 70 A NBR OK
Tubing hanger seals 85 A NBR OK
Packoff P-seals NBR/Fabric OK
S-Seals 90A NBR OK
Valve seat seals Glass filled PTFE OK
Valve stem seals Sprung PTFE OK
ASV PES Annulus packoff HNBR NBR
Rod piston T-seal FFKM/PEEK TFEP/PEEK
O-rings/T-seals (1) FKM or NBR NBR
Hanger tie backs FFKM/Teflon/Ryton TFEP/Teflon/Ryton
TRSSV PES All seals Non-elastomeric OK
Baker Flapper seal NBR TFEP
Other seals Non-elastomeric OK
Insert safety Petroline Chevrons Moly-filled PTFE TFEP/PTFE/Ryton
valve locks O-rings TFEP or FKM TFEP
Gas lift valves Camco O-rings FKM TFEP
Packings TFEP/MFT/Ryton OK
Check discs PEEK OK
Check elements PEEK OK
Adapter ring MFT OK
Dummy valves Camco Moulded packing TFEP/MFT/Ryton OK
Adapter ring Teflon OK
Orifice valve Camco Packing TFEP/MFT/Ryton OK
Adapter ring Teflon OK
O-rings FKM TFEP
Check elements PEEK OK
Check discs PEEK OK
Production PBR PES Chevron FFKM/Teflon/Ryton TFEP/Teflon/Ryton
Baker Chevron TFEP/Teflon/Ryton OK
Anchor PES Chevron FFKM/Teflon/Ryton TFEP/Teflon/Ryton
Baker Chevron TFEP/Teflon/Ryton OK
Production PES Elements TFEP NBR
packer O-rings/T-seals (2) FFKM TFEP
Baker Elements NBR OK
O-rings (1) NBR OK
Wireline locks PES Plug chevrons Kevlar/FKM/PTFE OK
and plugs Petroline Plug chevrons Filled FKM OK
O-rings FKM OK
Straddles/bridge PES Elements HNBR NBR
plugs
Notes: (1) Redundant after setting
(2) Not redundant after setting
NBR ≡ Nitrile ≡ Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber
FKM ≡ "Viton" ≡ Fluoroelastomer (based on hexafluoropropylene)
TFEP ≡ "Aflas"
FFKM ≡ Perfluoroelastomer ≡ "Kalrez" or " Chemraz" (preferred)
PTFE ≡ Teflon ≡ Polytetrafluoroethlyene ≡ Thermoplastic (MFT = Moly filled Teflon)
PEEK ≡ Polyether ether ketone ≡ High performance thermoplastic