Paper No.

639

The MACE International Annual Conference and Corrosion Show

EXPERIENCES WITH 1 X R FOR MITIGATING CO?CORROSION IN THE OILFIELD CASE HISTORIES: THE GULF OF MEXICO A N D INLAND GAS WELLS

Debbie A. Baudoin Chevron USA.Production Co. 5750 Johnston S. t Lafayeae,LA 70503 David K. Barbin Texaco E & P Inc. 400 Poydras St. New Orleans, LA 70052
Jm Skogsberg i Chevron petroleum Ttchnology Co. 2202 Oil center Court Houston, TX 77073

ABSTRACT
Matuial selection for downhole completions in the oilfield is one ta is critical t the economic success of a project ht o on a long-term basis. In the p s , the selection of downhole tubulars has been routine and basic, with most operators at rm o selecting carbon steel as standard procedure. Today, a paradigm shift f o the use of traditional carbon steel t 13 percent chrome (13Cr) is taking place as we utilize tools of economics. corrosion cngineerbg, and field data. We also place special emphasis on case-by-case histories of materialpexformance for each well. Factors to be considered in the decision making process in selecting materials for sweet corrosive environments include: Field Data (Current and Historical) Corrosion Engineering Economics

This paper takes an objective look at the field expenawes, conditions, and economics involved in making a materials sehxtion. Of all elements considered, economics is the main driving force. This paper will focus on four case histories from the Gulf of Mexico and inland Louisiana with various t e m p a w e s , pressures, chloride content, C02 content, and production rates. These case histories, along with proven long term experience will help set the stage for further usage of 13Cr.
Key Words: C02 corrosion, decision making process, economics, field experience. flowchart, gas wells, 13Cr

26

INTRODUCTION
The use of 13Cr in the oilfield has inneased over the last several years. The price and lead tim for delivery of 13Cr has decl.eased significantly over the last decade. Some companies have instituted stocking programs as their usage has accelerated. Today many compauies are reviewing their methods for tubular selection. Decisions are being made on a casebycase basis utilizing the tools of economics, corrosion engineering and historical field data
Studies have demonstrated 13Cr is a viable option to traditional carbon steels that have failed before all intended reserves were produced. It has been further determined 13Cr is an economical replacement for carbon steel when corrosion r inhibition, coatings, linings o downhole injection systems are necessary. The intent of this paper is to present case histories from the Gulf of Mexico and inland waters of Louisiana, and to pnsent the fhmework of previous experience which provides a basis for the guidelines used in evaluating them. The cases include wells with high chlorides, high bottom hole temperatwe, wells that failed with carbon steel and wells that are costly to inhibit with chemicals. Gulf Of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is replete with production platfoxms from virtually all major and independent ol compauies. i Several hundred platforms are strategicallylocated throughout the Gulf of Mexico, in an effort to capitalize on the ol and i gas rich reservoirs. Approximately 1300producing platforms are located i waters from 10 feet to 10oO feet At present, n majors and independents are producing some 11 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and over 700,000 barrels of ol per i day.' ~ d d i t i o d reserves are Wig realizedwt the advent ofthrce dimensiona~ ih seismic technology and in the future, production will occur in greater water depths.
Inland Louisiana

The inland waters of Louisiana have produced o l and gas since the 1930's. and for some companies have served as i the foundation for their development and futuregrowth in the Gulf of Mexico. Several hundred ol and gas producing fields i exist in Louisiana inland waters and land locations. At present, many companies are exploring these arcas for new oil and gas reserves.

FIELD DATA
Current Many production related paramters and corrosion related data should be considered when performing the materials evaluation. Typical data used for the evaluation is as follows: Reservoir Life Gas Rate condensate Rate Water Rate Bottom Hole Tcmpemhm Bottom Hole Pressure Wellhead Temperature Wellhead Pressure Separator Temperaturt Tubing Size Tubing Length co;!conteat H2S Content chloride content

In addition to the above parameters, the wellbore schematic and details are necessary for modeling the well for corrosivity. Historical Upon evaluation for a workover, available corrosion monitoring tools should be considered. These may include tubing caliper surveys, gas analyses, corrosion coupons, and water analyses. In addition to monitoring tools, well and reservoir history should be considered. For example, corrosion related workovers and/or corrosion control programs implemented for wells in the subject producing field should be considered when performing the evaluation.

27

Production parameters and corrosion related variables may not be available for analysis of a development well. Therefore, data should be gathered from an existing well produced from the same or a similar reservoir. This information should help determine the potential corrosivity of t e fluids flowing in the wellbore. h

CORROSION ENGINEERING
Essential elements of modeling a well to predict C02corrosion in gas wells include:

Phase Behavior. - Different phases exist at various depths in the production tubing . It is critical to determine if the production tubing will be water wet or oil wet. The presence of liquid water as a free and separate phase is necessary for corrosion to occur, and therefore it is important to determine the depth of water wetting. If the tubular is oil wet, corrosion im should not significantly reduce tubing life, unless the flow dynamics of the well disturb the oil f l .
Water DH. - The pH of the water at the tubing surface must be calculated taking into account water chemistry. C02, H2S (if any), and temperature. Water pH with tunperature relate to the solubility (stability) of iron carbonate (ferrous carbonate) scale, which when formed on tbe tubing surface may reduce corrosion rates! T v ~ Flow. The flow dynamics of the well must be establishedto determine if the flow p e a is annular or annular mist. The worst case is one in which there is annular mist flow for the entire tubing string. Under this condition, a portion of the fluid actually leaves the wall of the tubing and flows at the velocity of the gas phase. These droplets entrained in the gas can damage the oil or water flson the tubing surface. Protective iron carbonate scales may also be removed or im damaged The best case is fluid flowing in an annular pattern. T i will occur a lower velocities and will result in much hs t less disturbance of any film on the tubing, including protective iron carbonate scales. Flow Velocity. - Velocity is a key parameter in the corrosiveness of the fluid At higher velocities, it is difficult to maintain the protective iron carbonate scale. As a first look, tubing velocities should be compared to the critical velocity calculated according to API RP-14E. using a constaut (C) of 100 for continuous service! Erosion. - Erosion from sand must be considered as a separate process from corrosion and erosion corrosion.

Predicted Corrosion Rates. - From the above, water wet tubing with annular mist flow and high velocities approaching the API critical velocity will need corrosion control measures. Predicting the approximate life of the tubing will require estimating corrosion rates. One method for doing this is using a PC-based model developed by a joint-industryhis program at the University of Southwestern~ o u i s i a n a ~ model calculates of the above and predicts a corrosion rate and a tubing service life. This computer model has been used for some of the case histories presented in this paper.
ECONOMICS
Materials selection for corrosive wells should be evduated on a case-bytase basis of economics. Factors such as the initial cost of the tubular must be considered. However, other cost elements such as workover dollars, (both tangible and intangible),lost opportunity,chemical costs, and deferred production due to downtime must also be considered. Economics of some commonly used corrosion mitigation methods are explored as follows: 13Cr Tubme. - This method incurs a higher initial cost, but its life i expedtd to exceed the reservoir life. The s tubing should be reusable if production related wdovers are require4whereas internally plastic coated tubing is not considered as reliable for reuse. In addition to corrosion resistance, 13Cr can be a morc attractive alternative to carbon steel for high gas rate wells. The erosional coastant in the MI RP-14E guidelinescan be a larger value. This fact results in acceleratedproduction in some cases. Otha advantages in using 13Cr include less corrosion monitoring, increased chance of depleting the reservoir. no d e f d production or cash flow due to corrosion, reduced maintenance/manpowa,no corrosion inhibitor treatments and improved overboard water quality. For the Gulf of Mexico, Chevron purchases 13Cr tubing to API Specification 5 a to the appropriate N-80 o L-80 (sour service) grade. Minimalsupplementaryrequirements include r descaling of ID surfaces and disallowance of cold straightening. Complimentary 12Cr surface wellheads and trees are purchased to API Specification 6A with quality assurance set a PSL levels of 2 or 3. For sour service, the appropriate API t materials class is specified in order to meet NACE MR-0175. Manufacturersmaterials specificationsare approved in

28

advance and therefore no supplementaryrequirements arc uscd. The company does not specify notch toughness reqUirrments beyoad those r e q d by M and does not use CA6NM nor F6NM in the Gulf of Mexico. i Chemical Inhibition via Batch Treatin&- This method incurs a lower initial cost than thc other altexnatives. However, lost cash flow from shutting in the well for treatment is extremely high. Other disadvantages of batch treating are the possibility of formation damage during trcatmnt, anticipated tubing life less than reservoir life, and the inability to treat the well due to decreasedreservoir pressure. The prtdicted life of the reservoir is a key factor when evaluating various corrosion control options. For instance, chemical inhibition may be appropriate for a well expected to produce for only a few Y .Continuous Treatine Svstem fCTS). - This method incurs a higher initial cost than batch treatment The advantage of CXS systems is no lost cash flow due to shutting in the well, and a significantlymore effective chemical inhibition heatmat However, the chemical and maintenance costs are quite high. Also, the mechanicalrisk for this type of completion is much higher than for conventional completions.

other economic elements which arc difficult to assess a dollar figure m s also be considered. A cost s o m e k ut overlooked is that associated with insign5cant ~cserves justify a worlcovef. In some instances,it is uneconomical to to workover a well t a has failed due to corrosion, leaving W a d unrccovertd rcserves. Another factor that must be ht consi&red is t a associated with the environmental and safety risks of a COHOS~OU related tubular failure. ht
FLOW CHARTS
It is sometimes easy to dctarmne the type of material to be run in a well, but there arc occasions whm the decision * is not as evident. Based on concrete data and past experiences, two flowcharts WQC developad to aid in this decision making process; one for new drills (both exploratoryand developmental), and one for workovgs. Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Based on past field experieace, eavironmcntal limits have been established for 13Cr production tubing. Thest lmt should be used as rules-of-thumb,because documented field experienceusually involves only a few of the parameters iis which influence C O K O S ~ Oand seldom documents the interrelationshipbetween these parametas. Our defined rule-of-thumb ~ lmt include a maximum boaom hole temperature of 300F; 100,OOO ppm to 150,OOOppm chlodc in the produced water; iis 10 ppm H$ concentrationto partial pressures of 1/2 psi to 1 1/2 psi, depending on water pH. These H2S limits arc for grade L-80tubing.

CASE HISTORIES
Case1

Tht cost of mrrosion for a downhole failure can translate into millions of dollars. Table 1 illustrates t i point for hs Case Study bl. T i well was completed with 13Cr based an the results of the modeling and the axnomic evaluation. This hs well produced 12 million cubic feet of gas pa day (MMCFD), 700 barrels of condensate per day (BCPD) and 60 barrels of water pea day (BWPD). As noted in Table 5, the anticipated production life of the well is 14 years.
Modeling for Case 1 indicates a vay corrosive environnrmt. The results show the e t r tubing to be w t r wet nie ae Predictions indicate serious corrosion rates in the entire tubing string and a corrosion fail= in 8 months to 1 year. Under downhole conditions, two phase flow (vapor and water) is present throughout the tubing string with 60 barrels of water. HydrocarbonsCondCIlsing in the tubing prior to water ( t a ratio high enough to keep the t bn ol wet) helps mitigate a uig i corrosion. This phenomenon is not occurring in this well. The condensatewill be in the vapor phase throughout the entire tubing string, resultingin a mist type flow pattun. Water in tbe liquid phase will coexist with hydrocarbons in the vapor phase, leaving the tubing water wet. If the tubing is water wet and subject to such high velocities, serious c m s i o n is likely to occur. Based on the computer modeling d ecoIlomicevaluation, 13Cr was selected for corrosion mitigation. A caliper has been run since the well was completed, showing no penetrations in the tubular. As noted in Table 1. a payout period between 1 and 2 years was realized.

29

case2

This case history demonstrates tremendous economic losses when using carbon steel rather than 13Cr. The well o hs was completed with carbon steel and failed due t Co;? corrosion. T i well produced at rates of 36 MMCF,18 BCPD and 20 BWD. It failed after being on production for 26 months. The workover costs were $1.2 M M and the d e f d revenue costs wcre $3.5 MM. 13Cr was subsequently run in the well and has been calipend three times over two years. Caliper survey results indicate no pitting in t e tubing. Refer to Tables 2 and 5 for economics and production vitals. h
case 3

This exploratory well was completed with L 0 carbon steel. It required downhole corrosion mitigation measures on 8 t a three week frequency, in which downtime was approximately 7 hours pet treatment. The well produced a rates of 4 MMCF,400 BCPD aud 1500B W D . For production vitals refer to Table 5. Tbere were also difficulties when bringing this well back on production after corrosion inhibition treatmeats.
The economic comparison is based on the subsequently drilled well in which 13Cr was run. As the tco~lmics point out, (nfer to Table 3) a one year payout was realized when 13Cr was used. case 4

This well was completed with 4 1/2 in. internally plastic coated tubing. Roduction parameters and corrosion related variables can be found in Table 5. Roduction for the well is 30 MIvlCFD. 1000 BCPD and 2 B W D . At the conditions 0 referred to in table 5 and the above production rates, 4 1/2 in. tubing was modeled for this case. Condensate is present in the i tubing from 9ooo feet to the surface. Therefore, the upper portion of the tubing string is ol wet The flow regime is in annular flow, and low velocities are present in the lower portion of t e tubing. The tubing is water wet in this portion of the h string.
im The liquid fl is not turbulent,rather slow moving with a film velocity of 1.3 feet per second. The predictedlife is ht rn t 28 years for a well with 4 1/2 in. tubing. It is also important to note t a an i o carbonate fiim can be maintained a this low velocity, providing comosion protection. The worst case prediction is 9 years for this well. Considering that tbe life of the reservoir is only 3 to 4 years, low carbon steel is sufficient for this application. Also note corrosion inhibition for this well will have a longer film life due to the lower velocities and the iron carbonate formation.

An aggressivemonitoring program has been implemented for this well. A caliper was run 6 months after the well began producing. The survey indicated no penetrations in the 4 1/2 in. tubing. The survey included 417 joints of pipe totaling 13,350 feet of tnbmg with the packer a 13,346 feet. Coupons were pulled on a monthly basis for t r e months with t he t corrosion rates of 0.19,0.29,0.19 MPY respectively. The well has produced a accelerated rates between 38 - 41 MMCFPD. ae It should be noted that this accelerated r t would not have been possible if 3 1/2 in. tubing was used
The well was also modeled witb 3 1/2 in. tubing. Results indicate very severe corrosion, and velocities that exceed the erosional velocity. The flow regime indicatesmist flow. The above information along with the monitoriug data f o the rm program implemented for this well will verify the accuracy of the decision making process.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE LONGTERM PERSPECTIVE

The company completed their first 13Cr well for the F l e River field of the Tuscaloosa Trend in the summer of as ht 1975. Other gas fields in Louisiana t a were eventually completed include Judge Digby, Moore-Sams, Profit Island,and Elba Wells in the Tuscaloosa Trend are generally 18,000to 21,000 feet deep. The conditions were: Bottomholetemperature: 375FmaximUm Bottom hole pressure: 14-16,ooO psi C O Z p a r t i a l p ~ s s8% ~: H2S partial pressure: 20-30 ppm = 112 psi maximum Chlorides up to 100.OOO to 150,000 ppm Up to 200F surface wellhead temperatures

30

The surface equipment included 12Cr/13Cr trees with tubing hangers. The dual 13Cr tubing strings (420 Stainless steel) wem a proprietary grade of C-85 with hardness controlled to HRC 23. The liners were low alloy steel of grade P-110.

These wells were originally completed with low alloy steel production tubing that C O I T O ~ Cout in one to two years ~ because of CO, corrosion h m water mn o in the upper third of the tubing strings. The 13Cr was installed to extend tubing life and avoid expensive workovers. Some of these wells have been acidized with mud acid (HCLJHF) and some have bee0 completed with clear brines, includingZinc Bromide.

Not a sin& one o these gas wells, that has stayed on produdon, has ever been lost duc to corrosion leaks or f sUrfide stress emking. One well t a had been repeatedly shut in and acidized was lost due to intemal pitting corrosion. ht Tubing strings have shown internal pitting. some of which have exceeded API wall tolemuces. Some strings were replaced after 5 years to avoid the high cost of reinspcCting used tubing. These tubing strings have never been coated or protected from corrosion by using chanical inhibition!
0 t h important aspects of this experience were:

There has becn SOM gas cutting of gates and seats, even those hardfaced with cobalt-based alloys. Wireline work has not caused any tubing failures. This is consistent with industry experience. Wireline tools can scratch tubing and remove protective corrosion flson both 13Cr and low alloy steel. This will im acceleratecorrosion, but rarely leads to failure. There has been no abed pitting of 13Cr tubing exposed to clear brines. Copper coating the box of the connection and also applying molycoate to both the pin and box have prevented galling during make up of 13Cr tubing. Tubing stored in the open a r has pitted bemuse of salt water deposits from the humid Gulf Coast atmosphere. i There have been no brittle h c t u r e s of wellhead equipment or production tubing. This equipment was IC purchased without supplementary notch toughness requirements. Wellheads and CS wert generally 12Cr (410 SS)and were not F6NM o CA6NM, which have higher notch toughness. r There has been no significant corrosion of low alloy steel grade P-110 liners. U e tubing must be 1009b full-body inspected by EMI for internal pitting. Pitting first appears at the sd cwMCtiom. This tubing was purchased through a coaperatve effort with Mannesmann, NKK, and Sumitomo. Joint specificationswere wriaen for each mill. A l t bn was purchased with the ID and OD surfaces descaled by l uig pickling and bead blasting.

CONCLUSIONS
These cases cover various spectnuns of tempaatures, pressures, chlorides,c o 2 conten&and production rates. While the CUlILtllt cases cover only C02 applications,it must be noted that 13Cr has over timebeen successful in production applications where 20-30 ppm H2S has been produced. A paradigm shift from traditional carbon steel to 13Cr use is occurring more rapidly than ever before due to ecoMlmics, d e l i v d i t y , proven historical performance, drilling deepa, hotter, more corrosivewells and information sharing of successesusing 13Cr.

lhis paper takesaa objective look a the economics and mnditions involved in making a mataials selection. While t the main focus of this paper has been the use of 13Cr. thae catainly is and always will be applications for traditional carbon steel tubulars. As this paper demcmstraks. economics is the main driving force, however field data and historical performance must be considmd in this decision making ~ O C C S S .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank C.D. Adams for his work with the USL Corrosion Modeling Program, R.Braun and J.B. Bates for their contributions.

31

REFERENCES
1. Offshore Magazine, June 1994

2. R. H. Hausla & D W. Stegmam, COz Corrosion and Its prtvention by Chemical Inhibition in Oil and Gas Reduction, . Corrosion 88,paper no. 363
3. J. S Smart, A rcVitw of Erosion Corrosion in Ol and G s production, Corrosion 9 , . i a 0 paper no. 10
4. API Recommended Practice for Design and Installation of Offshore Production Platform Piping Systems, APIRP14E, API

Dla, a l s TX
5. Adams, C. D , D.Garber,and A. G.Hill, "Expert System for Predicting Tubing Life m Gas Condensate Wells", . J. Corrosion 92, paper no. 273

6. JD. Combes, 13Cr T u b Solve Cornion Roblrms m the Tuscaloosa Trend, petrolarm Engineer IntematiOna, M r h 1993 ac

32

113 CHROME
Tubing Cost Workover Cost Reolacement Tubma Cost

YR1

YR2

YR3

$216,000

Deferred Prod. Due to Downtime Conosion Inhibition Expen S8S

0 0

0 0

0 0

YEAR TOTAL CUMULATIVE COST

Table 2 Case 2 Economics :

$216,000 $0 $216,000 $216,000

$0 $216,000

33

Table 3 Case 3 Economics :

34

BATCH

YR1
$227,000

Y R2

Y R3

Y R4

4-1/2" Tubing
Tubing Cost Workover Cost Replacement Tubing Cost Mcfd bcpd Deferred Prod. due to Downtime Corrosion Inhibition Expense

30,000
1,000 $294,000 $7,600
I

30,000 1,000 $294,000 $7,600

I

30,000 1,000 $294,000 $7,600

I

30,000 1,000 $294,000 $7,600

I
w

10.000l lO.OO0l 10.000l 10.000l bcpd 300 300 300 300 Accelerated Prod. Due to > Tubing ID (-#) $10,001,000 $10,001,000 $10,001,000 $10,001,000
Mcfd
~

VI

YEAR TOTAL CUMULATIVE COST

($9,472,400) ($9,699,400) ($9,699,400) ($9,699,4001 ($9,472,400) ($19,171,800) ($28,871,200) ($38,570,600)

13 CHROME
3-1/2 Tublng
'I

YR1
$223,000

YR2

Y R3

Y R4

Tubing Cost Workover Cost Replacement Tubing Cost Deferred Prod. due to Downtime Corrosion Inhibition Expense

I
$0 $223,000

YEAR TOTAL CUMULATIVE COST

$223,000 $223,000

$0 $223,000

$0 $223,000

Table 4: Case 4 Economics

Case1

case2

case3
5 Yas er

case4

Reservoir L f ie G s Rate a CondensateRate Water Rate BHT BEFP Wellhead Temp wellherrdpressure Separator Temp T bn Sue uig T bn Length uig CO, Content Ha Content Chloride Content

1 Years 4 12 MMCFD 700 BCPD 60 BWPD 259% 11.000 psi 120% 8OOO psi 1009 2.875 inch 17,000feet 1 2 -1% .6
nil

7 Years 36 MMCFD 18 BCPD 20 BWPD 240% 6400 psi 180% 6100psi 180% 2.875 in& 15.400 feet 0 8 mol96 .4
nil

4MMcFD 400 BCPD 1500 BWPD 3009 10,000psi 1709 7000 psi 160% 2.875 inch 14,000feet 11 mol% .
nil 20,000 mgfl

3-4 Y a s er 3oMMcFD 1000 BCPD 20 BWPD 21m 4OOO psi 1 3000 psi 85F 3.958 inch 12,600feet 0 4 m9 .0 l 6

l m

127,000mg/l

40,000mgfl

nil 11,oOomgfl

Table 5: Summary of Production and Corrosion Related Variables

Case1 Economics (Cost) CubOD Stcd E C O ~ ~ C S- X r (Cost)

Table 6: Summary of Economics

case2
$4880 M $216 M

case3

case4

$9,200M $289M

$510 M $213 M

-$38,600 M $ 223M

36

37

38