Fit For Service Qualification for Sour Service High Strength Production Casing For High Temperature

In recent years the application of high strength carbon steel with 125ksi specified minimum yield strength as a production casing in deepwater and high-pressure reservoirs has increased. Sulfide stress cracking (SSC) can develop when high strength carbon steel is exposed to a sour environment. The H2S partial pressure in these sour reservoirs is above the 0.03 bar limit for this material at room temperature. Materials SSC performance evaluation requires an accurate simulation of field conditions in the laboratory. To evaluate the production casing SSC behavior, some fit for service (FFS) tests were carried out considering the well geothermic temperature profile for the materials selection. This paper presents a fit for service qualification carried out on Casing 125 ksi SMYS (Specified Minimum Yield Strength) materials. Two products with 125ksi SMYS were considered: one that has existed for several years and one developed more recently with a better SSC resistance – above the pH2S limit considered for the standard 125ksi SMYS material. The results obtained in this test program allowed casing 125 ksi SMYS materials selection for temperature above 65°C and environment more severe in terms of pH2S than the domain previously established for this grade. This allowed a new well production design, which saves one casing phase and avoids the necessity to use intermediate liners to prevent collapse.