Abstract
A prototype apparatus was used to investigate the effect of the conjoint action of CO2 corrosion and rotary sliding wear on steel couplings and tubing used in heavy oil screw-pump wells. The apparatus is versatile in design to simulate the oil-well conditions such as temperature, rotary speed, and the side forces exerted by the couplings on the tubing. Oil-well gases can also be passed through the system, and the apparatus can be converted to a three-electrode corrosion cell for conducting electrochemical studies.All tests were carried out in a produced heavy oil and formation water mixture. A comparison of the performance of various types of commercially available steel couplings and tubing grades through material loss measurements is presented. The couplings tested were made of plain carbon steel, and ‘hard metal’ coated steel. The steel tubing grades L-80, N-80, and P-110 as well as plain carbon steel were among the tubing materials tested.It was found that the martensitic tubin suffered the least thickness loss but caused the most damage to the couplings. Also, ‘hard metal’ coated couplings yielded the highest tubing thickness loss. The results are attributed to the microstructures of the various steels as well as their hardness values. The morphologies of the different materials surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following testing.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
