Protocol for Verification and Validation of High-pressure High-temperature Equipment

API TECHNICAL REPORT 1PER15K-1 FIRST EDITION, MARCH 2013

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1. Scope 1

   1. Purpose 1

   2. Existing Designs and In-service Equipment 2

   3. Applicability 2

2. Terms and Definitions 2

3. Abbreviations and Symbols 6

   1. Abbreviations 6

   2. Symbols 7

4. Functional Specification 7

   1. Responsibility 7

   2. Environmental Conditions 8

   3. Specified Loads and Characteristics 8

   4. Life Cycle Loading 13

   5. Applicable Industry Standards and/or Regulatory Requirements 13

5. Technical Specifications 16

   1. General 16

   2. Responsibilities 16

   3. Personnel Requirements 16

   4. Documentation 16

   5. Response to Functional Specifications 17

   6. Fit-for-service Basis 19

   7. Aftermarket Activities 19

6. Best Practices and Guidance 20

   1. Materials 20

   2. Design Verification 39

   3. Design Validation Testing 45

   4. Manufacturing Process Specification (MPS) 51

   5. Aftermarket Activities 53

Annex A (informative) Material Properties 54

Annex B (informative) Metallurgical-related Failures. 67

Annex C (informative) Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) 70

Annex D (informative) Technical Considerations on the Selection of Castings and Forgings 81

Annex E (informative) Quality Management System Guidelines 82

Bibliography 84

Figures

1. System Analysis Specification Breaks (Completion) 11

2. System Analysis Specification Breaks (Drilling) 12

3. Performance Envelope Example 14

4. Combined Loading Capacity Chart from API 6AF1 14

5. Example of True Stress for 2 1/4Cr-1Mo True Strain Curve 33

6. Validation Process 48

1. Example of Effect of Temperature on Thermophysical Properties of 4130 and 4340 (MMPDS) 55

   v

   
   

2. Example of Effect of Temperature on the Tensile Ultimate Strength (Ftu) and Tensile

   Yield Strength (Fty) of AISI Low-alloy Steels (All Products) (MMPDS) 56

3. Example of Compendium of Cyclic Curves for Carbon Steel and 2 1/4Cr-1Mo 58

4. Example of Effect of Temperature on Tensile Properties of Alloy N08535 in 125 ksi

   Minimum Yield Strength Grade 59

5. Example of Effect of Temperature on Strength of Alloy 25CrW (UNS S39274) 60

6. Example of Effect of Temperature on the Thermophysical Properties on UNS N07718 (MMPDS) 62

1. FMEA Process 71

2. General Validation FMEA Workflow 72

3. Detailed Validation FMEA Workflow 72

4. Modified Choke 77

Tables

1. API References for Equipment 3

2. Material Properties Cited by Design Standards 22

3. Typical Carbon and Low-alloy Steels for HPHT Use (T > 350 °F or P > 15,000 psi) 23

4. Stainless Steel and Corrosion Resistant Alloys for HPHT Use (T > 350 °F or P >15,000 psi) 24

5. List of Typical Materials 26

6. Typical Protocols for Property Determination 35

7. Summary of Test Protocols for Nonmetallic Materials in M-710 38

8. Cross References of Industry Standards 38

9. Reference Industry Standards for Design Verification 41

10. Reference Industry Standards for Validation 46

1. Example of Thermal Decay of API 5CT Casing 54

2. Recommended Yield Strength Reduction Ratios in Percent by Temperature for Low-alloy Steels 55

3. Example of Composition of 4130M7 Tubing 56

4. Example of Hot Tensile Testing of 4130M7 Tubing 57

5. Recommended Yield Strength Reduction Ratios in Percent by Temperature for Stainless

   Steels and CRA Steels 58

6. Example of Mechanical Properties of Alloy 825 (Cold Worked) from 4 in. Diameter Tube 61

7. Example of Chemical Composition of Heats Tested 63

8. Example of Tensile Properties as a Function of Temperature for INCONEL Alloy 725 63

9. Example of Composition of Alloy Tested in the Accompanying Tensile Data 66

10. Example of Tensile Properties of Titanium 6-2-4-6 (UNS R56260) 66

B.1 Field Failures of Completion and Production Equipment from 1975 to Present 68

1. Validation FMEA Worksheet Headings 73

2. Severity Matrix 74

3. Occurrence Matrix 74

4. Detection Matrix 75

5. Verification Results and Load Conditions 77

6. Test Matrix 79

7. Test List 80

8. Tests Ranked by TPN 80

Protocol for Verification and Validation of High-pressure High-temperature Equipment

1 Scope

1.1 Purpose

This report focuses on an evaluation process for high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) equipment in the petroleum and natural gas industries which includes design verification analysis, design validation, material selection considerations, and manufacturing process controls necessary to ensure the equipment is fit-for-service in the applicable HPHT environment. HPHT environments are intended to mean that one or more of the following well conditions exist:

1. the completion of the well requires completion equipment or well control equipment assigned a temperature rating greater than 350 °F or a pressure rating greater than 15,000 psig;

   
   

2. the maximum anticipated surface pressure or shut-in tubing pressure is greater than 15,000 psig on the seafloor for a well with a subsea wellhead or at the surface for a well with a surface wellhead; or

   
   

3. the flowing temperature is greater than 350 °F on the seafloor for a well with a subsea wellhead or on the surface for a well with a surface wellhead.

NOTE In high-temperature, low-pressure applications, not all methodologies presented in this document may apply.

The design verification process focuses on the analytical methods to achieve design verification by calculating the performance limits of a design (system, subsystems, and components), including its service life and material selection. The design validation process focuses on evaluating the potential failure modes of the equipment, the effects/consequences of the failures and defining the appropriate test methods to evaluate the reliability of the equipment against the identified failure modes including validation of material performance. The material section defines the required input parameters for the verification process and recommends the procedures necessary to evaluate the material fitness-for- service in the service environment. Functional testing procedures specific to HPHT equipment are also included in this document.

The design verification and validation protocols in this report should be used as a guide by the various API subcommittees to develop new and revised standards on equipment specifications for HPHT service. This report is not intended to replace existing API equipment specifications but to supplement them by illustrating accepted practices and principles that may be considered in order to maintain the safety and integrity of the equipment. This report is intended to apply to the following equipment: wellheads, tubing heads, tubulars, packers, connections, seals, seal assemblies, production trees, chokes, and well control equipment. It may be used for other equipment in HPHT service.

Annexes to this report provide additional information on the following:

• Annex A provides example HPHT material property data,

  
  

• Annex B is a compendium of published metallurgical-related field failures,

  
  

• Annex C provides a detailed explanation of the failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) process,

  
  

• Annex D contains technical information on the considerations for the selection of castings and forgings,

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