Failure Analysis Lab Services
Failure Analysis Lab Services
Viking Laboratory can help solve some of the most complex failures in the industry by offering a multi-disciplinary team of engineers with the support of Viking Engineering a GATE Energy Company. Collaboration with experts in other disciplines is required in certain circumstances to integrate the analysis of the evidence with a quantitative understanding of the different factors contributing to the observed material failure (i.e., state of stress, environment and background information on the design, manufacture, and service history of the failed component or system).
Viking Laboratory can also provide expertise from sample collection and courtroom expert witness, if necessary. In addition, we can help our clients avoid future problems by providing design modifications based on the failure causes.
Our services include conducting analyses on failed pipelines, downhole equipment, pressure vessels or any other critical structural component from any industry.
Our team of scientists and engineers can perform metallurgical evaluations, fracture surface evaluations, FEA, Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and a wide range of integrity assessments.
The Viking Team also leverages and applies lessons learned from the proprietary Viking Failure Investigation Database that contains findings from over 500 independent failures.
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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.
Mechanical Testing, Tensile Testing, Harness Testing, Materials Chemical Analysis, Metallographic Evaluations, Fracture surface Evaluations, Microstructural Characterization, and Customized Testing
Metallics and Non Metallics Materials Selection, Field Corrosion Studies, Fit-for Service Assessment, Integrity Assessments and Life Extension Engineering Assessments
Forensic Engineering, Field Investigation, Legal support / Expert Witness, Root Cause analysis, Sample Collection, Proprietary Failures Database and Fit-for Purpose Evaluations
Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Thermo-hydraulic Modeling, Corrosion and Erosion Modeling, Fracture Mechanics Modeling, Fatigue and Stress Analysis, Thermodynamic Modeling and Fit-for-Purpose Software Design