Engineering Encyclopedia

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

Note: The source of the technical material in this volume is the Professional
Engineering Development Program (PEDP) of Engineering Services.
Warning: The material contained in this document was developed for Saudi
Aramco and is intended for the exclusive use of Saudi Aramco’s
employees. Any material contained in this document which is not
already in the public domain may not be copied, reproduced, sold, given,
or disclosed to third parties, or otherwise used in whole, or in part,
without the written permission of the Vice President, Engineering
Services, Saudi Aramco.

Chapter : Materials & Corrosion Control For additional information on this subject, contact
File Reference: COE10601 S.B. Jones on 874-1969 or S.P. Cox on 874-2488
Engineering Encyclopedia Materials & Corrosion Control
Failure Analysis Course Overview

CONTENTS PAGES

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1

Materials Failures ............................................................................................ 1

Causes of Materials Failures............................................................................ 3

Corrosion and Mechanical/Materials Failures................................................. 6

MAJOR STEPS AND CORRESPONDING ROLES IN THE FAILURE

ANALYSIS PROCESS............................................................................................... 7

Major Steps ..................................................................................................... 7

Responsibilities................................................................................................ 8

GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................... 9

REFERENCES.......................................................................................................... 10

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Engineering Encyclopedia Materials & Corrosion Control
Failure Analysis Course Overview

INTRODUCTION

Materials Failures

By the broadest definition, failure analysis involves the determination of causes that are
related to the unexpected loss of performance of a structure or piece of equipment. Failure
analyses are performed mainly for the following reasons:

• To determine the primary or root cause of failure.

• To avoid future failures by establishing corrective actions that are based on the
determined cause of failure.

Serious incidents in production, refining, and petrochemical facilities have been initiated by
what would have appeared otherwise as inconsequential failures. Some of these failures have
resulted in explosions and fires that cost millions of Saudi Riyals and result in personal injury,
loss of life, and loss of production. Large losses in the hydrocarbon-chemical industries are
periodically summarized by M&M Protection Consultants as provided in the course handouts.
Some of the largest petroleum-petrochemical industry losses in the 1980s are listed in Figure
1. While Saudi Arabian losses were not as costly, failures nevertheless have occurred, as
shown in Figure 2.

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

Year Location Loss (Riyals) Cause

1981 Shuaiba, Kuwait 375,000,000 Undisclosed

Sulfide Stress
1984 Romeoville, U.S. (Union Oil) 476,000,000 Corrosion Cracking of
Hard Steel Welds

1987 Pampa, U.S. (Hoechst - Celanese) 807,375,000 Undetermined

Erosion-Corrosion in
1988 Norco, U.S. (Shell) 1,125,000,000
Steel Elbow

1989 Pasadena, U.S. (Phillips) > 1,875,000,000 Human Error

Figure 1. Large Petroleum/Petrochemical Industry Property Losses of the 1980S

Year Location Loss (Riyals) Cause

1977 Abqaiq 39,750,000 Undisclosed

Buried Pipeline
1977 Abqaiq 204,375,000
Rupture

Internal Corrosion of
1978 Abqaiq 201,375,000
Pipeline

1987 Ras Tanura 225,000,000 Flange Leak

Figure 2. Significant Saudi Arabian Property Losses

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

Causes of Materials Failures

The failures that are cited in Figures 1 and 2 resulted from several causes. The root causes for
all 100 major incidents fall into approximately six categories, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Root Causes of Materials Failures

Typical causes of failures (Figure 3) that are included in this course are mechanical (38 %)
and design error (4 %), as well as various unknown or miscellaneous (15 %). While these
failures account for over one-half of all the failures, it should also be remembered that failure
analyses might be required on any type of failure, if only to confirm or deny hypotheses and
suspicions.

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

Figure 4 lists types of facilities or plants where failures occurred.

Refineries 42

Petrochemical plants 16
Plastic-rubber plants 11
Chemical 10
Gas processing 7
Terminal-bulk plants 7
Pipeline 2
*Underground storage 2
**Special 2
Gas oil production 1

Drilling rigs 0

* Facilities which store liquids or gases underground in natural or excavated

mines or caverns are categorized as underground storage complexes.

** The "special" properties include a lube oil warehouse and an oil tank at an
electric generating station.

Note: Offshore facilities were not included in the survey.

Figure 4. Facilities Where Major Failures Occurred

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

Figure 5 identifies types of failed equipment within the facilities.

Piping systems 29

Miscellaneous or unknown 22
Storage tanks 17
Reactors 10
Process holding tanks 5
Heat exchangers 4

Valves 4
Process towers 3
Compressors 2
Pumps 2
Gages 2

Figure 5 . Types of Failed Equipment

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Engineering Encyclopedia Materials & Corrosion Control
Failure Analysis Course Overview

Corrosion and Mechanical/Materials Failures

The preceding survey broadly categorizes materials-related failures as mechanical, design,

and miscellaneous. Actually, all of these failures can be categorized as corrosion or
mechanical/material failures. A survey of failure analyses that were performed at Mobil for a
nine-year period revealed over 300 nontrivial metal failures. (Failures that are termed
“nontrivial” included those failures that were not clearly identifiable in the field and those
failures that required further laboratory examination.) A roughly equal number of corrosion
and metallurgical causes of the failures were found, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Typical Distribution for Causes of Failure

(Mobil experience, 1980-1988)

Corrosion failures, as well as other materials failures, will be studied in this course.
COE 106.02 will be devoted specifically to corrosion failures, and COE 106.03, COE 106.04,
and COE 106.05 respectively will cover mechanical/metallurgical failures, manufacturing and
fabrication defect-related failures, and nonmetallic materials failures.

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Engineering Encyclopedia Materials & Corrosion Control
Failure Analysis Course Overview

MAJOR STEPS AND CORRESPONDING ROLES IN THE FAILURE ANALYSIS

PROCESS

Failure analysis is a complex process that involves several participants. The participants must
often act like detectives who try to solve a mystery. In this course, we will learn several types
of questions for which the course Participants must find answers to solve the mystery.

Major Steps

There are 5 major steps in the failure analysis process. The steps are as follows:

• Field Failure Analysis

• Laboratory Failure Analysis

• Failure Analysis Report

• Implementation of Recommendations

• Follow-up

Figure 7 summarizes the steps and the responsible personnel.

Figure 7. Failure Analysis Process Flow Diagram

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

Responsibilities

Primary and secondary responsibilities are specified for each step in the failure analysis
process. As illustrated in Figure 7, the process is accomplished through a joint effort between
Consulting Services and field personnel.

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

GLOSSARY

corrosion Deterioration of a material that is caused by chemical or

elctrochemical reaction with the environment.

failure analysis Determination of the cause(s) that are related to the unexpected
loss of performance of a structure or piece of equipment.

root cause of failure Initial or primary failure that leads to the overall failure of the
structure or equipment.

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Failure Analysis Course Overview

REFERENCES

1. Garrison, W. G. “Major Fires and Explosions Analyzed for 30-Year Period,”

Hydrocarbon Processing, Vol. 67, No. 9, 1988, p. 115.

2. Mahoney, D. G., ed. “Large Property Damage Losses in the Hydrocarbon-

Chemical Industries,” Thirteenth Edition, M&M Protection Consultants, New
York, NY, USA, 1990. [Handout]

3. American Society for Metals (ASM). “Failure Analysis and Prevention,”

Metals Handbook, Ninth Ed., Vol. 11, Metals Park, Ohio, USA, 1986.

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