51313-02630-HIC Resistance of Heritage Pipelines Exposed to Mildly Sour Environments

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Product Number: 51313-02630-SG

ISBN: 02630 2013 CP

Author: Viviane Smith

Publication Date: 2013

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In the current paper, work will be presented on full scale testing of approximately 30-year old linepipe under several sour environments. Tests were monitored using acoustic emission (AE) ultrasonic inspection (UT) and sectioning to validate the presence or otherwise of cracking. Test durations were for up to 6 months. The rate of hydrogen evolution from the external surface was also monitored to determine when a stable hydrogen flux had been achieved (typically about 2 weeks). Results are compared with those from NACE TM0284 modified tests of the same material exposed for similar durations. Under typical mildly sour conditions (at the border of Region 0) the heritage material was found to be resistant to HIC. Under more aggressive conditions however some cracking was observed. It is of note that cracking initiated within the first couple of weeks of exposure supporting the use of more practical test durations. Small scale tests appear to be more sensitive to test duration and sampling location introducing greater variability. The test methods have shown promise and the scope of future work will be described in which further heritage linepipe materials will be tested to validate the developed test protocols and establish appropriate acceptance criteria.