Failure Analysis & Failure Investigation
Our Failure Analysis Process
Failure analysis is a critical process in determining the physical root causes of problems. The process is complex, draws upon many different technical disciplines, and uses a variety of observation, inspection, and laboratory techniques. One of the key factors in properly performing a failure analysis is keeping an open mind while examining and analyzing the evidence to foster a clear, unbiased perspective of the failure. Collaboration with experts in other disciplines (multi-discipline analysis) is required in certain circumstances to integrate the analysis of the evidence with a quantitative understanding of the state of stress, environment and background information on the design, manufacture, and service history of the failed component or system.
Viking Engineering has helped many operators solve some of the most complex failures in the industry. Our engineers have investigated a wide range of material failures from downhole tubular and bottom hole assemblies to surface wellhead and production equipment offshore and onshore. Viking Engineering can provide expertise from sample collection to the courtroom, if necessary. In addition, we can also help our clients avoid future problems by providing design modifications based on the failure causes.
Failure Investigation Services
We can provide expertise from sample collection to the courtroom, if necessary. In addition, we can also help our clients avoid future problems by providing design modifications based on the failure causes.
Downhole Force Analysis
Assessment of Field Conditions Leading to Failure
Multi-Discipline Approach for Determining Failure Modes
Material & Stress Analysis
Metallurgical Analysis & Testing
Interface with Manufacturers
Wellsite Installation per Industry Best Practice
Recommendations for Future Practices
Failure Analysis Services
Our services range from conducting analyses on failed downhole, subsea, and surface components and resolving complex failure issues of proprietary and API connections to investigating the causes of catastrophic failures due to corrosion and/or environmental assisted cracking (i.e. SSC, SCC, HSC, HIC etc..).
Our scientists and engineers can perform metallurgical evaluations, fracture surface evaluations and failure analysis of downhole tubular components using a multi-discipline approach based on materials & corrosion, tubular mechanics and chemistry.
Viking engineers are also capable of investigating downhole tubular component failures using commercial well design software packages (i.e. TDAS® , WELLCAT™ , and in-house developed models) to evaluate pipe body and connection stresses at failure locations.
Viking engineers and metallurgists are also knowledgeable in the areas of microstructural characterization, fracture surface evaluation (SEM/EDS fractography evaluations), mechanical testing (tensile, hardness, CVN), and fracture mechanics testing (KIC, JIC, J-R).
Consult a Specialist
Resources
So your pipe burst, your pump shaft snapped, or your welded joint split, and you need to figure out why and how to fix it. The next steps you take can make the difference between finding answers and leaving the mystery unsolved until the next failure.
We have many options for conducting root cause analyses (RCA) including TapRooT™ and CAST/STPA. The method described here is the method developed by GATE to simplify the analysis while maintaining adequate rigor.
This paper is Part II of a two-part series intended to narrate the history, some of which has been forgotten over time, leading up to the publication of the first Material Requirement (MR-01-75) standard prepared by NACE and its subsequent auxiliary standards.
This is Part I of a two-part series intended to narrate the “lost” history leading up to the publication of the first Material Requirement (MR-01-75) standard prepared by NACE (now AMPP) and its subsequent auxiliary standards.
The recent global over supply of crude oil and soft demand has resulted in oil companies shutting wells in to prevent destroying value and to protect their balance sheets. The time frame, until production startup becomes economic, is uncertain and therefore, it is imperative that appropriate actions are taken to maintain and manage the integrity of shut-in wells and associated delivery systems.
This information provides insight to aid in preventing common failures and improving industry practices to reduce incident rates in addition to saving time and money.
In this GATEKEEPER, the philosophy around the materials selection and corrosion monitoring is discussed as the primary design barrier to corrosion and cracking in critical parts of a subsea system.
The following material properties are important when understanding the limitations of API 5CT high strength steels: yield strength (YS), Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact energy, hardness and tempering.
Casing and tubing that are subjected to combined loads have higher collapse strength than previous formulas would predict, permitting the use of thinner walled, or lower strength, pipe than formerly required.
Efficient access to multiple permeable natural gas zones located in deep, over pressured, and extremely corrosive environments presents a challenge for South Texas operating companies.
The flow of metal during Friction Stir Welding is clarified using a faying surface tracer and a nib frozen in place during welding. It is shown that material is transported by two processes.
This work is a discussion of how the limit performance is being defined and quality systems are being revised for API connections in accordance with the objectives of the LRFD method for OCTG.
New integral joint connections can withstand greater loads, increasing their range of applications. The use of IJC casing can allow a slimmer well to be drilled, reducing total well costs.
A wide range of aluminum alloys and other metals and alloys, particularly dissimilar materials, have been friction-stir welded in this study.
Friction Stir Welding is a relatively new technique for welding that uses cylindrical pin or nib inserted along the weld seam.
Annulus Pressure Management refers to an engineered approach ensuring that casing annulus pressures do not challenge the well’s integrity during the life of the well.
Material selection is a nuanced process. A primary assessment based on environmental and operating conditions enables identification of outright inappropriate materials and allows a general selection to be made.
Determination of the proper 13Cr grade for sour service involves the investigation of domain diagrams, and often requires further fitness-for-service testing.
Viking has the expertise to help operators better understand past well failures and frac performance by working together to develop improved frac designs and execution.
Well Planning & Configuration, Tubular Design, Evaluation of Connections, WELLCAT/StressCheck/TDAS, Casing & Tubular Design Training Courses, Mill Qualification & Surveillance
Viking Engineering provides operators with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to hydraulic fracturing and stimulation-related operations. From fracture design to execution and post-treatment analysis, Viking’s approach offers the operator technically supported decisions when conducting fracturing and stimulation operations.
Viking Engineering provides operators with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to hydraulic fracturing and stimulation-related operations. From fracture design to execution and post-treatment analysis, Viking’s approach offers the operator technically supported decisions when conducting fracturing and stimulation operations.
Viking Engineering provides onsite support for all fracturing and stimulation operations. The onsite Viking team ensures that operations are executed as it was designed and planned while making sure to achieve the project objectives. This gives our clients peace of mind throughout the process.
Surface operational temperatures >302°F (150°C) makes well design, materials and equipment selection critical for Geothermal wells. Viking Engineering’s knowledge and expertise helps to deliver your required solutions.
Provides fit-for-service evaluations, testing and analysis for evaluating complex downhole failures, pipeline failure investigations and forensic services for midstream and downstream clients and also provides services to the renewable energy sector.
Viking Engineering has performed many materials selection projects to help operating companies produce oil and gas safely and within budget.
The Viking team merges the mechanical and dynamic thermal-hydraulic aspects to bring a true systems approach to annulus pressure management.
Complete Lifecycle Stress Analysis, Completion Design, Downhole Equipment Evaluation
Failure analysis is a critical process in determining the physical root causes of problems. The process is complex, draws upon many different technical disciplines, and uses a variety of observation, inspection, and laboratory techniques
The Viking QA Team provides experienced and competent QA & TPI Inspectors around the globe, providing mill, post mill and vendor surveillance on critical casing and/or tubing strings, drill pipe, line pipe, downhole engineered equipment and accessory items.
GATE follows a similar methodology to threat identification in risk assessment (e.g. FMEA), and analyses the relations between possible causes, and prevention and maintenance measures to highlight the cause(s) to be addressed.
Provides fit-for-service evaluations, testing and analysis for evaluating complex downhole failures, pipeline failure investigations and forensic services for midstream and downstream clients and also provides services to the renewable energy sector.
The Corrosion and Materials Team for oil and gas developments and water and gas injection systems forms one of Viking’s core oil and gas engineering services.
Viking can help you design and implement a tailor-made Risk Based Inspection (RBI) Program.
GATE can improvise, implement and manage a cost-effective plan for your asset to ensure safe and continuous operation.
Integrity engineering consulting starts at design stage where the corrosion control strategy is laid-out to reach the desired service life with minimum interruption.
Viking uses our systems engineering, materials and integrity management, commissioning and operating knowledge of onshore and offshore water injection systems around the globe to reach a solution that is optimized to the need of each Client and each asset.
Our engineering support extends to developing and coordinating corrosion testing and inhibitor qualification programs, to validate both material and chemical selection choices.
At Viking, we take flow assurance engineering and modeling to operations. By using a systems engineering approach, Viking addresses the challenges from modeling to development of operational strategies to optimize flow assurance engineering in the production system. Flow assurance modeling is a key aspect of engineering design work, especially in deepwater oil and gas developments.
At Viking, we take Flow Assurance modeling to operations by using a systems engineering standpoint addressing the challenges from modeling to development of operational strategies to optimize the production system.
At Viking, Flow Assurance engineering and modeling is designed to assist in project decision making.
Injection into hot and high-pressure deep water reservoirs is often constrained by concerns associated with fracture propagation.
Preparing for operation of a major oil and gas facility is a daunting task. Viking provides standard operating procedure (SOPs) generation, maintenance planning (CMMS, Spares), FMEA and RCA studies and Control System Tuning and HMI Screen Development.
Operations Readiness systems developed late in a project and in silos can’t reach the potential of becoming the powerful tools that they were developed to be.
The main difference between the GATE Stream-Based HAZOP and a typical HAZOP is that we define nodes based on ‘streams’.
Viking uses an innovative phased approach. High level SOPs are developed early based on the PFDs. These are then matured to mid-level and finally to detailed procedures as the project matures.
We have a broad knowledge in generating plans for the initial startup of wells, subsea tie-backs and new platforms.
Life extension is a comprehensive review of a facility or vessel to determine if improvements are required, and what is needed to extend the operational life.