RIASSUNTO
ABSTRACT:
The evolution of crude oil extraction and processing technology has lead to an increase in temperatures that internal linings of processing and storage vessels must withstand. The increasing temperatures may be due to the depth of the oil reserve, the techniques (such as pressurized steam) used for extraction or because the high viscosity of certain crude oils requires high temperatures for them to remain fluid. The chemical environments range from mostly crude oil with minimal water content (as in a crude oil storage tank) to mostly water with residual oil and other chemicals (as in Produced water) with every possible combination of hydrocarbon liquids and gases, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and water in between. In addition to the high temperatures, high pressures may also be involved which can affect the performance of the lining. These environments may be present in both onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities. The complexity of the environments, in terms of pressure, temperature and chemical environment makes it difficult to determine which parameters are having an effect on coating performance. This paper discusses test results obtained from a range of commonly used high performance linings subjected to varying test temperatures while holding carbon dioxide concentrations and test pressure constant.
INTRODUCTION
High temperature, high pressure oil and gas processes constitute one of the most severe environments in which organic coatings provide corrosion protection to carbon steel vessels. In some ways, trying to find coatings that perform well is like trying to hit a moving target – the coating may stay the same but the operational parameters are continually changing – or, a coating that performs well in one oilfield is asked to perform in a different oilfield where there may be subtle, but important, differences in processing conditions.