Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Failure Analysis of CT-90 Coiled Tubing Used in Oil and Gas Industry in Mexico

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coiled tubing (CT) is widely used in the oil and gas industry. In this study, we conducted a failure analysis on a 44.4-mm (1.75′′) diameter CT with CT-90 grade steel, which was part of well-site preparation in the Mexico region. CT exhibited a fracture, and external corrosion was identified as a contributing factor to the failure. Material characterization and damage assessment of the pipe were carried out using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) to determine the chemical composition and optical microscopy to observe its microstructure. Hardness, tensile tests, and non-destructive testing were performed to analyze a failed CT. The results indicate that the hardness reaches a maximum value of 20 HRC, which is within the maximum hardness recommended for the API 5ST standard (22 HRC). Tensile test results reveal that the yield strength reaches 657 MPa, while the ultimate tensile strength reaches 725 MPa. The corroded surface was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to examine its morphology, and the composition was determined through Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). SEM observations showed the presence of spherical inclusions, pits, and microvoids, which had the most detrimental impact on corrosion processes. The failure was caused by deformation, corrosion, and pre-fracture mechanical damage, resulting in an approximately 19% reduction in the cross-sectional area due to external corrosion damage. Given the characteristics of the corrosion profile, it can be inferred that this damage would not have occurred during the CT use in the well unless it had been in operation for extended periods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CT:

Coiled tubing

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

EDS:

Energy-dispersive spectroscopy

SRFP:

Steel-reinforced flexible pipe

OD:

Outer diameter

ID:

Inner diameter

ASTM:

American Society for Testing and Materials

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

FeCO3 :

Iron carbonate

Pp:

Pumping pressure

Pwh :

Pressure well head

bpm:

Barrels per minute

W/CT:

Weight/coiled tubing

FPU:

Flexible pipe unit

BHA:

Bottom hole assembly

G:

Grain size ASTM

ARemaining :

Remaining area

AT :

Area transversal

W:

Weight

ts:

Tension

SMYS:

Specified minimum yield strength

SMTS:

Specified minimum tensile strength

ε YS :

Strain at yield stress

ε TS :

Strain at tensile stress

ε F :

Strain at fracture

CaO:

Calcium oxide

FeO:

Iron (II) oxide

SiO:

Silicon oxide

MnS :

Manganese sulfide

Al2O3 :

Aluminum oxide

(OES):

Optical emission spectroscopy

YS:

Yielding strength

References

  1. Z. Zhu, Z. Liang, J. Hao, Buckling load of bending coiled tubing under an injector. Adv. Mech. Eng. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1177/1687814018791091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. J.A. Khan, S. Irawan, E. Padmanabhan, H.H. Al-Kayiem, S. Rai, Optimization of coiled tubing nozzle for sand removal from wellbore. J. Pet. Explor. Prod. Technol. 10, 53–66 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-019-0714-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. X. Wang, J. Yu, Y. Sun, C. Yang, L. Jiang, C. Liu, A solids-free brine drilling fluid system for coiled tubing drilling. Pet. Explor. Dev. 45, 529–535 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1876-3804(18)30058-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. N. Li, L.X. Zhu, S. Cong, Y.R. Feng, Fracture failure analysis of Φ50.8 mm coiled tubing. Mater. Sci. Forum. 993, 1235–1241 (2020). https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.993.1235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. T. Qu, K. Tong, H. Li, J. Zhao, D. Shen, J. Song, Investigation and analysis of fracture failure of TS-110 coiled tubing used in oil and gas field in southwest China. Eng. Fail. Anal. 147, 107153 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2023.107153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. L. Shaohu, X. Hui, G. Feng, J. Qifeng, W. Jiwei, Y. Ting, Coiled tubing failure analysis and ultimate bearing capacity under multi-group load. Eng. Fail. Anal. 79, 803–811 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2017.05.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. L. Shaohu, W. Yuandeng, Z. Hao, Critical Ultimate load and ultimate bearing failure of CT110 with initial crack defect. J. Fail. Anal. Prev. 21, 204–212 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-020-01047-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Y. Qian Bei, S. Guohao, W. Gang, L. Jubao, Y. Ming, Z. Qiang, Experimental study on the influence of bending and straightening cycles for non-destructive and destructive coiled tubing. Eng. Fail. Anal. 123, 105218 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2021.105218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Tong, D. Gao, Elastic-plastic collapse limit analysis of coiled tubing under complex stress state. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 174, 106–114 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2018.11.018

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. API 5ST-20 standard, Specification for Casing and Tubing, (2020).

  11. N. Ji, M. Zhao, Z. Wu, P. Wang, C. Feng, J. Xie, Y. Long, W. Song, M. Xiong, Collapse failure analysis of S13Cr-110 tubing in a high-pressure and high-temperature gas well. Eng. Fail. Anal. 148, 107187 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2023.107187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. D. Neog, A. Sarmah, M.I.S. Baruah, Computational analysis of coiled tubing concerns during oil well intervention in the upper Assam basin, India. Sci. Rep. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26670-5

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. A. Gokhale, A. Varma, C. Singh, P. Halder, J. Jain, R.K. Yadavalli, Failure analysis of SS 304 HCu reheater tube of a supercritical power plant. Eng. Fail. Anal. 137, 106244 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Z. Zhou, J. Tan, F. Wan, B. Peng, Improvement and determination of the influencing factors of coiled tubing fatigue life prediction. Adv. Mech. Eng. 11, 1687814019880131 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1177/1687814019880131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Z. Zhou, M. Qin, Y. Xie, J. Tan, H. Bao, Experimental study of microstructures in bias weld of coiled tubing steel strip with multi-frequency eddy current testing. IEEE Access. 8, 48241–48251 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2979414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. L. Shaohu, Z. Hao, Z. Hong, L. Yang, W. Zhen, Experimental and numerical simulation study on fatigue life of coiled tubing with typical defects. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 198, 108212 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2020.108212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Y. Cao, Z. Chen, Y. Pan, J. Wang, H. Mi, Y. Dou, Sensitivity analysis of coiled tubing erosion wear based on FLUENT. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 1985, 012013 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1985/1/012013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Y. Gao, P. Geng, P. Cheng, N. Ma, M. Fujikubo, Y. Bai, Wet collapse mechanism of steel-reinforced flexible pipe structures under curvature effect: physical experimentation and numerical simulation. Compos. Struct. 307, 116539 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2022.116539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. ASTM A606-01 standard, Specification for Steel, Sheet and Strip, High-Strength, Low-Alloy, Hot-Rolled and Cold-Rolled, with Improved Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance, ASTM Int. (2017).

  20. ASTM-A607 standard, Specification for Steel, Sheet and Strip, High-Strength, Low-Alloy, Columbium or Vanadium, or Both, Hot-Rolled and Cold-Rolled, ASTM Int. (2017).

  21. NACE MR0175/ ISO 15156-1 Petroleum and natural gas industries— Materials for use in H2S-containing Environments in oil and gas production, NACE. (2015).

  22. R. Barker, D. Burkle, T. Charpentier, H. Thompson, A. Neville, A review of iron carbonate (FeCO3) formation in the oil and gas industry. Corros. Sci. 142, 312–341 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2018.07.021

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. D. Burkle, R. De Motte, W. Taleb, A. Kleppe, T. Comyn, S.M. Vargas, A. Neville, R. Barker, In situ SR-XRD study of FeCO3 precipitation kinetics onto carbon steel in CO2-containing environments: the influence of brine pH. Electrochim. Acta. 255, 127–144 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2017.09.138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. ASTM E415-17 standard, Standard Test Method For Analysis Of Carbon And Low-Alloy Steel By Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry, ASTM Int. (2021).

  25. ASTM E112-13 Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size, ASTM Int. (2021).

  26. S.J. Abramoff, M.D. Magalhaes, P.J. Ram, Image processing with image. J. Biophoton. Int. 11, 36–42 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  27. A. International, ASTM E797/E797M-21 Standard Practice for Measuring Thickness by Manual Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Contact Method, (2021).

  28. ASTM E8 standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials, ASTM Int. (2013).

  29. ASTM E110-14 Standard Test Method for Rockwell and Brinell Hardness of Metallic Materials by Portable Hardness Testers, ASTM Int. (2023).

  30. H. Ghiasi, Evaluation of microstructural effects on mechanical properties of CT80 grade coiled tubing steel. Sci. Iran. 25, 2155–2161 (2018). https://doi.org/10.24200/sci.2018.20677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. ASTM E140 standard, Standard Hardness Conversion Tables for Metals Relationship Among Brinell Hardness, Vickers Hardness, Rockwell Hardness, Superficial Hardness, Knoop Hardness, Scleroscope Hardness, and Leeb Hardness1, ASTM Int. (2019).

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely acknowledge Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo for the support in the experimental work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas Norte 152, San Bartolo Atepehuacan, 07730, CDMX, México

    Apolinar Albiter Hernández, Lucila Cruz-Castro & A. Contreras

Authors
  1. Apolinar Albiter Hernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lucila Cruz-Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Contreras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Contreras.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Albiter Hernández, A., Cruz-Castro, L. & Contreras, A. Failure Analysis of CT-90 Coiled Tubing Used in Oil and Gas Industry in Mexico. J Fail. Anal. and Preven. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-024-01918-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-024-01918-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation