IBP1081_19

DEVELOPMENT OF SOUR SERVICE X80

SEAMLESS LINE PIPES FOR CHALLENGING
OFFSHORE APPLICATIONS
Laurent Ladeuille, Ana Carolina Vilas Bôas 2,
Julio M. S. Silva3, Markus Schuetz4, Livia Mangualde5,
Laurent Lamps6, Sébastien Leconte7
Copyright 2019, Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute - IBP
This Technical Paper was prepared for presentation at the Rio Pipeline Conference and Exhibition 2019, held
between 03 and 05 of September, in Rio de Janeiro. This Technical Paper was selected for presentation by the
Technical Committee of the event according to the information contained in the final paper submitted by the
author(s). The organizers are not supposed to translate or correct the submitted papers. The material as it is
presented, does not necessarily represent Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute’ opinion, or that of its
Members or Representatives. Authors consent to the publication of this Technical Paper in the Rio Pipeline
Conference and Exhibition 2019.

Abstract

The use of high strength low alloy steels such as X80 (DNV555) grade allows a reduction of
wall thickness that can bring significant advantages for deep-water / high-pressure fields.
However, several challenges need to be addressed with high strength steels especially
toughness, reel-ability, weldability, and sour resistance. This paper presents the latest results in
industrial developments for X80 grade produced by Vallourec and how it fits with the needs of
the offshore-industry. The characterization work was carried out on pipes with wall thickness
of 25.4 mm manufactured according to DNVGL-ST-F101 (2017). An extensive testing program
was done to characterize the tensile properties, impact toughness, hardness, fracture toughness
on quenched and tempered pipes and after small scale reeling-simulation. The sour resistance
of the pipes was evaluated by means of four point bending tests in Region 3 as per NACE
MR0175 (2015). The corrosion tests were all positive and good toughness level was obtained
with design temperature down to -30 °C. In addition, tests were performed at Serimax to
evaluate the weldability of the developed X80 line-pipe steel by using welding procedure
relevant for the offshore fabrication and with a special focus on the balance between the
hardness in the HAZ, the overmatching and the welding productivity. Promising hardness and
four points bend tests were obtained in as-welded condition with the newly developed welding
procedure.

Keywords: High strength steel, seamless pipes, offshore applications, sour service

1. Introduction

The use of high strength steel such as X80 is an attractive option to lower the costs of
deep-water projects. Indeed, X80 grade allows a decrease of the wall thickness ranging from
______________________________
1
Ph.D, R&D Manager -Vallourec Tubes France
2
MSc., R&D Manager – Vallourec Soluções Tubulares do Brasil
3
DSc., Quality and Industrialization General Manager– Vallourec Soluções Tubulares do Brasil
4
Ph.D., Industrialization Manager – Vallourec Deutschland
5
Eng., Industrialization Manager – Vallourec Soluções Tubulares do Brasil
6
Eng., Welding Engineer – Serimax
7
Eng., R&D Manager - Serimax
 Rio Pipeline Conference and Exhibition 2019

15% to 20% for flowlines and risers compared to X65. The consequent reduction of the pipeline
weight could bring several benefits regarding installation and CAPEX (Karunakaran et al.,
2018):
- Decrease of the top-tension requirements,
- Decrease of buoyancy module requirements for particular riser configurations (SLWR,
hybrid risers),
- Reduced pay load on the floater,
- Improved reel-lay vessel utilization as longer riser and flowline sections can be carried
in each trip.
However, several technical challenges need to be overcome so that X80 grade can be
used for offshore applications with the necessary product robustness; the fracture toughness,
the sour resistance and the weldability need to be addressed.
In this context, Vallourec has developed new steel for seamless X80 grade, targeting
sour service applications in Region 3 as per NACE MR0175 (2015). This paper presents the
results of trial production tests done with the wall thickness 25.4 mm. They include tensile
properties, hardness, impact toughness, CTOD and SSC performance.
The paper will also present the results of the tests that were performed at Serimax
Welding Technology Center to evaluate the weldability of the new X80 steel.

2. Materials

2.1 Steel chemistry

A low carbon concept (≤ 0.08 wt%) is used to achieve a low carbon equivalent and to
guarantee the weldability: Table 1. Molybdenum and Manganese are added for the
strengthening of the steel. The micro-alloying with elements like Niobium, Vanadium
Molybdenum and Titanium is well recognized for the promotion of a finer-grained
microstructure and a finer distribution of precipitates. The total addition of alloying elements
C+Cr+Mo+Nb+V+Ti is kept below 0.55% in order to achieve a good toughness at low
temperature (≤ -40 °C in impact test and -30 °C in CTOD) and a good hardness control.

Table 1. Chemical composition of the investigated alloy (max. limits, wt. - %)

C+Cr+Mo+Nb
C Si Mn P S CEIIW CEPcm
+V+Ti
≤ 0.08 ≤ 0.31 ≤ 1.45 ≤ 0.012 ≤ 0.003 ≤ 0.55 ≤ 0.40 ≤ 0.20

2.2 Steelmaking and pipe manufacturing

The steelmaking process used for the production of the X80 grade includes vacuum
degassing and continuous casting. Phosphorus and sulfur-contents were maintained
respectively below 0.012% and 30 ppm in order to enhance the sour-service resistance of the
steel.
Seamless pipes with wall thickness of 25.4 mm (1’’) and with outer diameter from 273.1
to 323.9 mm (10’’ to 12’’) were hot rolled and quenched and tempered to reach the X80 grade.
The tempering temperature and soaking times were adjusted in order to achieve a good

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compromise between the yield strength and the distribution of hardness across the wall
thickness.

2.3 Small scale reeling simulation (SSR)

Small scale reeling simulation tests were performed on some full wall strip specimens
in order to check the suitability of the material for reel-lay. The specimens were submitted to
two pre-straining cycles each one consisting of 2% strain in compression and in tension. The
specimens were then aged at 250 °C during 1 h.

3. Mechanical properties of the base metal

3.1 Tensile properties & Hardness distribution

Table 2 shows the tensile and hardness results obtained on a representative sampling of
several heat treatment campaigns. The tensile properties were measured on strip specimens and
the hardness values were determined by hardness quadrants (HV10) performed at the outer
surface, mid wall and inner surface as per DNVGL-ST-F101 (2017). Since pipe specimen data
are under confidentiality agreement, only the mean values could be disclosed. The hardness
values are globally compliant with the requirements of NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156-2 (2015)
for sour service application (< 250 HV10).

Table 2. Tensile properties and hardness results (quenched and tempered condition)

Property Mean value

Tensile results Yield Strength (MPa) 584
(strip) Tensile Stress (MPa) 659
Yield ratio (-) 0.89
Hardness results Outer wall (HV10) 222
Mid wall (HV10) 206
Inner wall (HV10) 220

The effect of the small-scale reeling simulation on tensile properties and hardness is
shown respectively in Table 3 and in Table 4. The values before and after SSR were measured
on samples taken from the same pipe. The yield strength increases by about 100 MPa after SSR
tests ending in tension, while it is practically unchanged after SSR tests ending in compression.
The hardness values increase by approximately 15 HV10 at mid-wall and inner wall after SSR
tests ending in tension, while staying below the threshold of 250 HV10.

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Table 3. Evolution of tensile properties after Small Scale Reeling simulation

Condition As-Q&T After SSR tests After SSR tests

ending in tension ending in compression
Tensile properties YS (MPa) 576 673 570
TS (MPa) 657 679 672
(Mean values) YS / TS 0.88 0.99 0.85

Table 4. Evolution of hardness (HV10) after Small Scale Reeling simulation tests ending in tension

Condition As-Q&T After SSR tests

Hardness Outer Wall 234 223
(HV10) Mid Wall 211 223
Mean values Inner Wall 219 234

3.2 Impact toughness

The absorbed energy was measured with Charpy V-notch tests in a temperature range
between -80 °C and 10 °C. The specimens (7.5 mm x 10 mm) were taken in the transverse
direction. The results are shown in Figure 1. A good ductile behavior is kept down to -60 °C in
the quenched and tempered condition and down to -40 °C after small scale reeling simulation.

Q&T - Sub-size specimens: 7.5 x 10 mm SSR - Sub-size specimens: 7.5 x 10 mm

400 120 400 120
350 350
100 100
300 300
Absorbed energy (J)

Absorbed energy (J)

Shear area (%)

Shear area (%)

80 80
250 250
200 60 200 60
150 150
40 40
100 Absorbed energy 100 Absorbed energy
20 20
50 Shear area 50 Shear area
0 0 0 0
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Temperature (°C) Temperature (°C)

Figure 1. Transition impact Charpy curves obtained in as Q&T condition and after Small Scale Reeling
simulation (SSR). Note: reported energy values for subsize 10 x 7.5 mm section (not converted for full size).

3.3 CTOD

CTOD tests were performed in the longitudinal direction L-C as per BS 7448-Part 1
(1991) at -30 °C using single edge-notched bend specimens (SEN-B). The notch was fabricated
using an electrical discharging machine (EDM) in order to guarantee a narrow notch from which
the pre-crack can extend by fatigue.
The results are given respectively in Table 5. Excellent CTOD values, much higher than
the minimum threshold of 0.15 mm of DNVGL-ST-F101 (2017) standard, are obtained both in
Q&T condition and after small scale reeling simulation. All specimens show ductile fracture
mode (m).
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Table 5. Results CTOD tests @ -30 °C (SEN-B – L-C direction)

CTOD values (mm) & fracture mode @ -30 °C

Condition
#1 #2 #3 #Av.
1.291 1.250 1.239 1.260
Q&T
m m m ---
SSR 0.974 0.887 0.891 0.918
(tests ending
in tension) m m m ---

4. Sour resistance of the base metal

Four point bending tests were performed in accordance with EFC16 (2009) and ASTM
G39 – 99 (2016) in order to check the resistance to sulfide stress corrosion cracking (SSC) of
the X80 pipes. The SSC tests were carried out in Solution “A” as per NACE TM0177 (2016)
under 1 bar H2S. The specimens were sampled as close as possible to the inner diameter (ID)
of the pipe and were stressed to a load of 90 % of the actual yield strength (AYS) by four-point
bending. The tensile stressed surface of the specimen was that one originally as close as possible
from the ID surface of the pipe. After the tests, the specimens were evaluated by visual
examination (10 x magnification), magnetic particle inspection (MPI) and micrographic
observations on longitudinal cuts.
Table 6 gives an overview the results. Eight triplicates of specimens were tested in total:
seven were taken on Q&T pipes and one was taken after Small Scale Reeling simulation. Two
of the triplicates were tested with intact ID skin, which is the most representative configuration
of pipes in service. All specimens succeeded the corrosion tests and were exempt of any SSC
cracks on the visual inspection as well as on the longitudinal micrographic cuts, even after
strain-aging or when the ID skin was preserved as-received for the test.

Table 6. Overview of the four point bending tests (Solution A – 1 bar H2S)

Test Material Surface YS (MPa) Load Results

condition preparation
#1 Q&T Machined 610 90% AYS All specimens approved
#2 Q&T Machined 590 90% AYS All specimens approved
#3 Q&T Machined 570 90% AYS All specimens approved
#4 Q&T Machined 573 90% AYS All specimens approved
#5 Q&T Machined 580 90% AYS All specimens approved
#6 Q&T Intact ID 584 90% AYS All specimens approved
surface
#7 Q&T Intact ID 571 90% AYS All specimens approved
surface
#8 SSR Machined 681 90% AYS All specimens approved

Figure 2 shows the typical aspect of the specimens tested with intact ID surface after
exposure to Solution A. No SSC cracks are visible after MPI; the depth of the surface pits is
smaller than 50 µm.

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Figure 2. Surface of the specimens tested with unmachined ID surface showing some micro-grooving

5. Weldability

One of the big challenges regarding the welding of X80 steel is to guarantee hardness
values below 250 HV10 for sour requirements, as emphasized by Bruns (2014). In that respect
different welding strategies were tested at the Welding Technology Centre of Serimax with the
new developed steel. The girth welds were performed on full-scale pipe sections in the
horizontal (1G) position using the Saturnax 9 welding equipment: Figure 3.

Figure 3. Saturnax 9 welding equipment

The best results were obtained with the welding strategy described in Table 7. It
combines the use of mGMAW-STT Powermax process for the root pass and mGMAW-P with
a dual torch system for the hot, fill and cap passes. This welding strategy is a cost-effective
solution that is fully compatible with the conditions on site provided only some precaution with
the preheating temperature (150 °C). The mGMAW-STT Powermax process allows a good
control of the root profile without copper backing, as illustrated on the macrosection in Figure
4. This is a key factor to reduce the stress concentration at the weld root and to increase the SSC
resistance of the joint.
The use of the dual torch system for the hot, filling and cap passes contributes to lower
the cooling rate and provides a tempering effect on the weld metal and on the HAZ, which
lowers the hardness in the weld joint.

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Table 7. Details of the best welding strategy

Welding process Root Pass: mGMAW-STT Powermax

Hot, Fill, Cap: mGMAW-P / dual torch
system
Position 1G (rotative)
Pre-heating temperature 150 °C
Welding consumable Root: ER 80S-G
Hot, fill, cap: ER 90S-G

Figure 4. Macrosection of the girth weld obtained with the STT Powermax / mGMAW-P dual torches

The hardness survey (HV10) was carried out using the procedure illustrated in figure 5.
The hardness locations did not follow exactly the guidelines of DNVGL-ST-F101 (2017);
instead, it was chosen in this study to perform extensive measurements of the hardness in the
critical area at 0.5 mm from the fusion line in the HAZ. In addition, hardness measurements
were also performed in the weld metal in the areas corresponding to the root and hot passes,
which are the most relevant ones for sour service. All the individual hardness values are below
the threshold of 250 HV10 required for sour service application according to NACE MR0175
/ ISO 15156-2 (2015).

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217 210
227 240
229 236
230 221
222 215
227 214
212 208
227 226
224 215
226 217
Vertical distance between 227 227
points: 1.5 mm 222 219
215 218
229 232
229 243
0.5mm
224 221
225 225
233 239 221
238 238 222
235 226 215
234 219 215
234 212 210

Figure 5. Macro-hardness measurements across the weld section (left: methodology, right: results in HV10)

Additionally, microhardness mapping was performed close to the root area of the weld:
Figure 6. The measurements were carried out using an automatic indenter with a load of 0.5 kg
and a distance of 0.25 mm between indentations. The hardness in the weld metal lies typically
between 235 and 250 HV0.5.

Figure 6. Micro-hardness mapping (HV0.5 / Distance between indentations: 0.25mm)

The strength overmatching of the weld is also a challenge with X80 steels, as
emphasized by Tronskar et al. (2015). The overmatching was evaluated by means of all weld
metal tensile test using a round bar specimen of 5 mm gauge diameter; the results are given in
Table 8. The strength overmatching of the girth weld is compliant with the requirement of the
DNVGL-ST-F101 (2017) for offshore application.

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Table 8. Results of all-weld metal tensile tests

Yield Strength Tensile Yield/tensile ratio

(MPa) strength
(MPa)
Min. 635 (J-lay)
Criteria Min. 625 Max. 0.93
Min. 655 (Reel-lay)
Results 664 740 0.90

Four point bending tests were performed on specimens taken from the weld joints, with
intact root, in order to evaluate the SSC after welding in solution A of the NACE
TM0177 (2016). The testing stress was kept at 90% of AYS. The results are given in Table 9;
all specimens pass the test as shown in Figure 7.

Table 9. Four-point bend test results on root intact specimens

Sulfide Stress Cracking – Four Point Bend Test

Solution A– Partial Pressure of H2S: 1 bar
Specimen AYS (MPa) Applied load Results
%AYS
#1 580 90 No failure
#2 580 90 No failure
#3 580 90 No failure

Figure 7. Absence of SSC cracks on the four-point bend specimens prepared with weld root intact after testing
(as-observed after MPI)

The results of these preliminary welding trials are promising. The next steps of this
study will be to determine the toughness properties of the weld and to check the evolution of
the results after small-scale reeling simulation.

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8. Conclusions

High-strength seamless steel pipes of grade DNV 555 with nominal wall thickness of
25.4 mm were successfully produced using a new steel concept developed at Vallourec. The
new steel chemistry combined with a careful control of the quenching and tempering conditions
allows a good balance between yield strength and hardness distribution across the wall
thickness.
Good CTOD and good impact toughness values are obtained down to -30 °C and -40 °C
respectively, both in quenched and tempered conditions and after small scale reeling simulation.
The specimens taken close to the ID surface of the pipes pass the four point bending
tests in SSC region 3, as per NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156-2 (2015) standard.
It was possible to identify from the welding trials at Serimax Welding Technology
Center a cost-effective welding solution, which enables to reach the requirements with regard
to strength overmatching. A hardness survey was carried out in critical areas located at 0.5 mm
from the fusion line in the HAZ as well as in the root / hot passes in the weld metal; all the
measured values are under 250 HV10 as required for sour service application. Welds passed
successfully the four point bending tests in SSC Region 3 with root intact specimens.

9. References

ANSI / NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156-2:2015 Edition Petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas
industries – Materials for use in H2S-containing environments in oil and gas production
– part 2: Cracking-resistant carbon and low alloy steels, and the use of cast irons,
American National Standard, 2015.
ANSI / NACE TM0177-2016 Edition: Laboratory testing of metals for resistance to sulfide
stress cracking and stress corrosion cracking in H2S environments, American National
Standard, 2016.
ASTM G39 – 99 (Reapproved 2016): Standard Practice for Preparation and Use of Bent-Beam
Stress-Corrosion Test Specimens, ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box
C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States, 2016.
BS 7448-1:1991 'Fracture mechanics toughness tests' - Part 1 (1991): 'Method of determination
of KIc, critical CTOD and critical J values of metallic materials' – British Standards
Institute, 1991.BRUNS, C., WIEBE, J., NIKLASCH, D., MAHN, D., SCHMIDT, T.,
Impact of welding parameters on weld seam properties of seamless X80 linepipe steel
grade. In: International Pipeline Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2014.
DNVGL-ST-F101, Submarine Pipeline Systems, Det Norske Veritas, Høvik, Oslo, Norway,
2017.
EFC16: Guidelines on materials requirements for carbon and low alloy steels for H2S
containing environments in oil and gas production (EFC16 3rd EDITION). Edited by
Svein Eliassen and Liane Smith g, Maney Publishing, Leeds, UK, ISBN 978 1 90654 033
3, 2009.
KARUNAKARAN, D., JONES, R., THUREL, E., LINNE, C., High strength steel for HP/HT
riser applications and cost benefits. In: Offshore Technology Conference, Houston,
Texas, USA, NRG Park, 2018.
TRONSKAR, J. P., VADHOLM, T., Advances in Linepipe Material and Welding. In: Offshore
Pipeline Technology Asia 2015, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-22 October, 2015

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