The corrosion behavior of super 13Cr stainless steels in completion fluids was investigated using well components (tubing, blast joint, sliding sleeve device and packer mandrel) retrieved from Resak A-6 well in Malaysia. The environment that caused the cracking in the Resak A-6 well was CaCl2 brine (completion fluid) + well fluid(H2S, CO2). Intergranular cracking mode was found on all of the fracture surfaces from the retrieved failure components. The presence of oxygen, CO2, and H2S in CaCl2 brine was the most likely cause for cracking. Laboratory tests in the CaCl2 brine environment simulating the field conditions were performed to determine the cause of field failures. Laboratory test results via U-bend test method showed that super 13Cr martensitic stainless steels are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the CaCl2 brine environment at the reservoir temperature of Resak A-6 well. The cracking susceptibility was suppressed with chemical additives of inhibitor, oxygen scavenger, biocide and caustic soda. Laboratory test results also showed that when H2S and CO2 gases are commingled with CaCl2 brine, the environment becomes extremely corrosive. In a medium such as this, chemical additives of inhibitor, oxygen scavenger, biocide and caustic soda are ineffective in preventing cracking. In test solutions containing the CO2 and H2S gases, all U-bend test specimens were broken and exhibited an intergranular fracture mode resembling that of the field failures. Laboratory tests were also conducted in the CaBr2 and NaBr brine environments under the influence of well fluid. In the CaBr2 and NaBr brine environments with the well fluid, cracking did not occur in any of the U-bend test specimens. Test results suggested that the CaBr2 and NaBr brines, which promote passivity on super 13Cr martensitic stainless steel, are better selections for completion fluid than CaCl2 brine.
Key words: Completion fluid, Packer fluid, Super 13Cr martensitic stainless steels, Stress corrosion cracking, H2S, CO2, CaCl2, Oil country tubular goods.