The equipment and components used within the oil and gas extraction industry can be incredibly technical and complex. There are so many different factors to bear in mind, particularly when it comes to material selection.

The materials used will be subjected to some of the most extreme environmental conditions, including high temperatures and corrosive media. And yet the integrity of these materials is paramount to the safe operation of these essential operations.

Therefore, when selecting the right materials, engineers need to look for technically superior alloys that can withstand these conditions without compromising their strength or corrosion resistance. Many of the nickel-based alloy products that Corrotherm supplies are employed within oil and gas extraction projects, across the INCONEL, INCOLOY and MONEL ranges. These materials help with the cost-effective manufacture of pumps, valves and process control equipment.

The INCOLOY and INCONEL ranges

The nickel-chromium alloys in the INCOLOY and INCONEL ranges are often employed across the oil and gas extraction industry. For example, we recently looked in detail at INCOLOY alloy 825, and its use within this demanding industry. This material offers excellent resistance to both general and localised corrosion, under a broad range of conditions. As such, it can be used for a wide range of applications, including the separation of extracted fluids in natural gas production systems. It can also be used in situations where seawater is present, as well as certain acids.

Also within the INCOLOY range, there is INCOLOY alloy 925, another useful material, particularly when dealing with sour crude oil and natural gas. It can be utilised for downhole and surface gas-well components, thanks to its resistance to sulphide stress cracking and stress-corrosion cracking.

INCONEL alloy 625 is a material of particular interest within the high-performance INCONEL range of products. It is used across many industries, where its high strength under extreme conditions is a significant benefit. One key property for this material is that it has good resistance to potable and salt water, resisting attack by chloride ions that can lead to pitting and crevice corrosion. Because of this, it is used quite widely within pipelines for gathering sour gas, where is it used as either the main material or as cladding. It can also be used in seawater heat exchangers in oil refineries, as well as some offshore topside applications.

More on MONEL

There are also materials in the MONEL range of alloys that have their part to play in oil and gas extraction processes. For example, MONEL alloy 400 can be used for things like downhole tubulars, hangers and tubing. It can also be used to create components for well head and heat exchange equipment.

This effective alloy was popularised for its use in petroleum distillation tower internals and components, as well as for the storage tanks of gas and potable water.

Find out more about these alloys and their use within the oil and gas extraction industry, by speaking to a member of our Sales team.