Abstract
Laboratory data are presented relating to the spontaneous cracking and embrittlement of steel alloys under environmental and stress conditions pertinent to sour gas condensate wells. It has been shown that cracking can occur in simple aqueous hydrogen sulfide solutions and is an effect related to stress corrosion cracking. A mechanism involving stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement is proposed to explain the cracking phenomenon. Important factors studied included composition and heat treatment of alloy, type and magnitude of stress, Composition of corrosive solution (e.g., acidity, salt content), composition and pressure of gas environment, temperature and time of exposure. Of; these the first three were found to be the most important. Remedial measures discussed include use pf resistant alloys, heat treatment of susceptible alloys, organic and metallic coatings and inhibition. A simple laboratory procedure is presented for making a preliminary evaluation of the cracking susceptibility of a given alloy.
