September 2024, Vol. 251, No. 9
Tech Notes
Coating System Takes Aim at Metal Loss in Fracking Operations Pipes
Special to Pipeline & Gas Journal
An original erosion-resistant coating (ERC) establishes a new category with a system that resists erosion inside pipes located near fracking wellheads, thereby reducing downtime maintenance costs and enhancing drilling productivity.
Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine’s Pipeclad Frac-Shun ERC is a patent pending technology that protects pipe interiors from the inherent sandblasting action of grit moving rapidly through the pipes. The applied powder coating remains intact far longer than other options, protecting the steel pipes from significant metal loss that otherwise leads to potential leaks and early pipe replacements in many operations, according to the company.
“High velocity fluids containing sand, rocks and other debris moving through a coated fracking pipe create a sandblasting action that’s akin to removing coatings when preparing a surface for a new application,” said Kristin Leonard, Energy Segment director. “Once those coatings are gone, the steel will begin to erode instead. The new erosion-resistant coating system is able to withstand the impact of multiphase flows striking it without eroding or chipping away like most coatings.”
The inner walls of pipes, especially elbows, located near wellheads can be eroded by fracking sand flows within six to 18 months, or sooner. Such erosion also occurs inside storage vessels and tanks where gritty, multiphase fluid flows strike interior surfaces. To date, no other coating category — whether liquid or powder — has been able to successfully mitigate this erosion, Sherwin-Williams said. Instead, well operators are accustomed to frequent, unexpected maintenance shutdowns, following pipe wall thickness inspections.
With the coating providing a longer performance window for coated pipes, well operators are much more likely to surpass the first 12 months of operation on a new wellhead before needing to replace pipes.
Pipeclad Frac-Shun ERC is applied to the inside of large- and small-diameter steel pipes to deliver maximum erosion protection. The applied system forms a molecular-level composite that provides an ultra-high erosion-resistant barrier that extends the service life of the pipeline and elbow sections. It also minimizes lost production time by extending maintenance cycles and reduces steel loss, damage and leaking during energy extraction.
Various lab testing and long-term field trials have confirmed the adhesion and chemical and erosion resistance characteristics of the new Pipeclad Frac-Shun ERC technology.
Autoclave testing — which uses a blend of water and hydrocarbons at elevated temperatures and pressures representative of wellhead conditions — showed excellent resistance to operating stresses and chemical exposures.
In addition, ultrasonic testing performed on steel pipes coated with the Pipeclad Frac-Shun ERC system confirmed no loss of wall thickness after six months of operation at an active wellhead. Pipes used at the same wellhead that featured a control coating technology showed the expected wall thickness erosion.
Comments