ASME 2015 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition: Paper

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IMECE2015­51568 (Status: Abstract submitted ) Technical Paper Publication

Microstructural Changes in Down­Hole Expansion of High­Mn Steel
Tubular

Authors
Name Company Author Order Role Copyright Received
Omar S. Al­Abri Sultan Qaboos 1 Presentation
University and Lead
Author
Prof. Tasneem PervezSultan Qaboos 2 Contact and
University Co­Author
Majid H. Al­Maharbi Sultan Qaboos 3 Co­Author
University
Track 12 Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Fluids
Name Company Phone & Fax Role
Prof. Pradeep Sharma University of P:713­743­4502Track Organizer
Houston
Topic: 12­25 Mechanics and Materials in the Oilfield
Name Company Phone & Fax Role
Nathaniel Wicks Schlumberger P:6177682197 Topic Organizer

Abstract
As easily recoverable hydrocarbon resources are depleting, the oil and gas industry focuses more on
producing oil and gas from ultra deep, tight and scattered pockets of reserves. However, these
recoveries are not easy and require the development of new technologies and materials that can
meet stringent requirements regarding operation in sub­surface environment. The emergence of
expandable tubular in the late 1990s has opened a new avenue for oil/gas wells design and
remediation processes. However, these tubular go through large expansion in diameters at
kilometers depths in onshore and offshore wells. This alters the post­expansion mechanical and
structural properties of the tubular that may lead to premature failure during operation. The idea of
understanding such variations revolve around complex mechanisms occurring at micro level
including multiphase microstructure, grains sizes and morphology, and crystallographic orientations.
Initial grains morphology and distribution of phases, and the subsequent changes due to the
expansion process lead to significant variations in material properties at macro level. A preliminary
investigation showed that expandable steel consists mainly of two phases i.e., austenite and ferrite
with some traces of martensite. Induced martensite results from the phase transformation of
metastable austenite due to the mechanical energy persuade by applied stress in the expansion
process. A reasonable presence of martensite phase in the tubular material will enhance its
structural integrity, collapse and burst strengths, as well as provide a safeguard against possible
mechanical failures such as buckling. On the other hand, the austenite phase is a soft phase and its
presence will improve the formability of the tubular resulting in higher expansion ratios. It was also
observed that the grains size is affected by the tubular expansion. The presence of elongated grains
in the microstructures is due to the excessive deformation as well as the crystallographic
reorientation of grains due to the course of tubular expansion. Furthermore, a random texture
distribution has been observed that may be attributed to the excessive deformation. In order to
understand the effects of the microstructural changes (distribution of phases, grain size and
orientation, volume fraction of phases, etc.) induced by the expansion process, samples from un­
expanded and expanded sections of the tubular (expanded at 16%, 20% and 24% of the tubular
original inner diameter) are investigated using optical and scanning electron microscopes. Grains
morphology and texture evolution of pre and post expansion show the existence of secondary
phases and dislocations pile up at grain boundaries during expansion process leading to changes in
material properties of expanded tubular under mechanical load.
Status
Event Date
Abstract submitted 02 Mar 2015