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com
Material Selection in Oil & Gas
Industries A Rational Approach
With every operator closely monitoring bottomlines it is fairly easy to fall into the trap of using
inferior materials to construct facilities and machinery. However, structural failures can lead to
much higher costs, both financially and otherwise. This article explains how the materials selection
process should be carried out.
Technology
Technology
W
ith the recent material failures in the oil and
gas industry around the world, the role of a
material and corrosion engineer for the se-
lection of suitable material had become more
complex, controversial and difficult. The task had be-
come more diverse, since now the modern engineering
materials offer wide spectrum of attractive properties
and viable benefits.
In the earlier years or late Seventies, the process
of material selections that had been confined ex-
clusively to a Material engineer, a Metallurgist or
a Corrosion Specialist have widened to day, to
encompass other disciplines like process, opera-
tions, integrity etc. The material selection is no
more under a single umbrella but had been an
integrated team effort and multidiscipline approach.
The Material or Corrosion Specialist in todays
environment had to play the role of negotiator or a
mediator between the conflicting interests of other
peer disciplines like process, operations, concept,
finance, budgeting etc.
With this as back drop the current article presents
various stages in the material selection process and
offers a rational path for the selection towards a distinc-
tive, focused and structured holistic approach.
What is Material Selection in Oil and Gas
Industry?
The material selection in oil and gas industry by and
large is the process of short listing of technically suitable
material options and materials for an intended applica-
tion. Further to this options , it is the process of selecting
the most cost effective material option for the specified
operating life of the asset, bearing in mind health,
safety and environmental aspects and sustainable
development of the asset, technical integrity and any
asset operational constrains envisaged in the operat-
ing life of the asset.
Stages of Material Selection in Oil and Gas
Industries
The stages involved in material selection process
can be outlined as follows:
Material Selection during concept or basic engi-
neering stage
Material Selection during detail engineering stage
Material Selection for failure prevention Lessons
learned
Material Selection during Concept or Basic Engi-
neering stage
Material Selection during Concept stage basically
means the investigative approach for the various avail-
able material options for the intended function and
application. In this stage key factor for the material
selection is an up-front activity taking into consideration
operational flexibility, cost, availability or sourcing and
finally the performance of the material for the intended
service and application.
Material and corrosion engineers specialized ex-
pertise or skills become more important as the appli-
cation becomes critical like highly sour conditions,
highly corrosive and aggressive fluids, high tempera-
ture and highly stressed environment etc.
JAN-MAR 2012 21
It is at this stage imperative that the material selection
process becomes a inter discipline team approach rather
an individualistic material and corrosion engineers
choice. However some level of material selection must
be made in order to proceed with the detailed design
activities or engineering phase.
The number and availability of material options in
todays industry have grown tremendously in recent
times as such the selection becomes more intricate than
about few decades back. The trend with the research
and development in the materials sciences will still
grow and may make the selection much more complex
and intriguing.
It should be understood that at concept design stage
the selection is broad and wide. This stage defines the
options available for specific application with the avail-
able family of materials like metals, non metals, com-
posites, plastics etc. In case an innovative and cost
effective material choice is to be made from available
family of options it is normally done at this stage.
At times material constrains from the client or operat-
ing company or the end user may dictate the material
selections as part of contractual obligation. Sourcing,
financial and cost constrains at times may also limit and
obstruct the material selections except for vey critical
applications where the properties and technical accept-
ability of the material is more assertive and outweigh the
cost of the material.
Materials availability is another important criterion on
the material selection which impacts the demanding
project schedules for the technically suitable material
options. Also different engineering disciplines may have
different and specific requirements like constructability,
maintainability etc. However a compromise shall be
arrived at this stage between all the disciplines con-
cerned to arrive at a viable economic compromise on
the candidate material.
Material Selection during Detail Engineering Stage
Materials selection during the Detail design stage
becomes more focused and specific. The material
selection process narrows down to a small group or
family of materials say Carbon Steels, Stainless Steels,
Duplex Stainless steels, Inconels or Incoloys etc. In
the detail design stage it singles down to a single
material and others conditions of supply like Auste-
nitic Stainless Steels, Maretensitic Stainless Steels,
Cast materials, Forged materials, etc.
Depending on the criticality of the application at this
stage the material properties, manufacturing processes,
quality requirements, will be addressed to more preci-
sion level and details. Sometimes this may involve
extensive material testing programs like corrosion test-
ing, high temperature testing, simulated heat treatment
testing, proof testing etc.
From the Concept to Detailing stage is a progressive
process from larger broad possibilities to screening to a
specific material and supply conditions.
At times the selection activity may involve a totally
new project (Greenfield) or to an extension of existing
project (Brownfield). In case of existing project, it could
be necessary to check and evaluate the adequacy of the
current materials and it may be necessary at times to
select the material with enhanced properties. The can-
didate material shall normally be investigated for more
details in terms of cost, performance, fabricability, avail-
ability and any requirements of additional testing etc in
the detail engineering stage.
Material Selection for Failure Prevention
Lessons Learned
Material selection and the sustainability of mate-
rial to prevent any failure during the life of the
component is the final selection criterion in the
selection process. Failure is defined as an event
where the material or the component that did not
accomplish the intended function or the applica-
tion. In most of the cases the material failure is
attributed to the selection of wrong material for the
particular application. Hence the review and analy-
sis of the failure forms very important aspect in the
material selection process to avert any similar fail-
ures of the material in future.
The failure analysis or the Lessons Learned may not
always result in better material and may at times study
and consider the steps to reduce the impact on the
factors that caused the failure. A typical example would
be to introduce the chemical inhibition system in the
process to mitigate corrosion of the material or to carry
out a post weld heat treatment to minimize the residual
stresses in the material which has led to the stress
corrosion cracking failure.
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PP
IF EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE
GOING WELL- YOU HAVE
OBIVIOUSLY OVERLOOKED
SOME THING
.Murphys Law
An exhaustive review and study of the existing mate-
rial that failed , inadequacy checks, quality levels im-
posed on the failed materials is required before an
alternate and different material is selected for the appli-
cation. The importance of the failure analysis cannot be
undermined in view of the spate of many failures in
recent times in the oil and gas industries. The results of
failure analysis and study will provide very valuable
information to guide the material selection process and
can serve as input for the recommendation in the
concept and design stages of the project. It strengthens
and reinforces the material selections process with
sound back-up information.
Material Recommendations for Pipelines
Some of the relevantly used materials for the pipelines
in the Middle East region are indicated for information
and guidance In the Table below. The recommenda-
tions are general in nature and each project or the
pipeline is to be studied in detail case by case as regards
the operating conditions, fluid compositions etc before
any final selections.
Also other considerations like the total length of
the pipeline, above or below ground installation,
nature of the pipeline like export line or processing
line etc to be taken into consideration during the
detail engineering phase.
Conclusion
There had been ever growing necessity for review
and analyze the new and suitable materials, process
designs, and new technologies in the oil and gas
industries. Advances in material sciences and mate-
rial processing had offered wide range of material
choices which are erstwhile not available to the
industry. This had made the process of material selec-
tion more complex, diverse and challenging.
A careful study, review and analysis is much
more important for proper material selection meet-
ing the demanding situations and perform well. To
maintain the integrity of the asset and provide a
safe, healthy working environment in the industry
it is always a welcome event to have the material
selection as holistic team approach rather than
individualistic metallurgists or corrosion special-
ists choice.
This publication thanks Mr. Nalli. K,
Tebodin & Partners LLC, Oman, for provid-
ing this article.