IATMI22-080

Material Selection Analysis for Well Design Candidate

for CCS/CCUS Project
Syatria Kumala Putra*1, Mahendra Wijaya1, Ridwan Sangaji1, Muhammad Faisal Umar1, Irawan
Nugroho1, and Raissa Salsabila Arifin1
1
Pertamina Hulu Energi
* Email: [email protected]

Abstract. As the world in ambition to limit the increment of global temperature not reaching as high as
1.5˚C, Production and consumption of oil and gas currently account for over half of global greenhouse gas
emissions associated with energy use. Carbon sequestration is one of crucial element of clean energy
transition since this technology contributes to both directly reducing emissions in high energy intensity
economic sectors and removing CO2 to balance emissions that cannot be avoided.

Making the opportunity of Indonesia’s G20 Chairmanship, PERTAMINA leads the opportunity to establish
the carbon sequestration project in nation. With the spirit of synergy and collaboration with partners,
technical aspect and technologies are being studied and simulated in order to help decision makers to decide
appropriate action and affordability of carbon sequestration project.

It is important to understand not only the subsurface structure of the field itself but well integrity to ensure
that CO2 will able to inject and stays underneath for the intended period of storage take a critical
consideration not only in safety but cost parameter. Material including casing, tubing and or other tubular
goods points on how will the well last. This paper will using case study method by analyzing and mitigating
corrosion of well material. As corrosion as material may degrade with time depending on the downhole
temperature, pressure, stress conditions, and formation fluids. CO 2 is very corrosive when it encounters
aqueous environment and driven by high pressure, temprature, flow rate, and pH, will react with cement
and steel resulting in carbonation which can lead to steel rusting. In addition to rusting, it has possibilities
to form cracks on well structure and cause the leakage of CO 2.

In consequence, several factors had to be considered, including the choice of material. Selection of wellbore
material play an important role in reducing the risk of corrosion. Strarting with the evaluation of corrosion
causes (from partial pressure of CO2), low life cycle cost, design (including impact of water’s and gasses’
like SOx, NOx, O2, and H2S appearance), availability, mechanical and physical properties of material. The
results of this study are well design and materials that should have been used, based on the case study that
had been done. By utilizing ferrous or non ferrous metal, and selection of composite and polymer are
alternatives to decrease the possibilities of corrosion. Additionally, corrosion caused by the presence of
sulphur gasses can be avoided by using a protective layer like iron sulphide film. Regardless of the wellbore
material, well needs to be on steady state condition in order to maintain well and CO 2 condition.

Keyword(s): Casing, CCS/CCUS, corrosion, material selection.

©2022 IATMI. All rights reserved.

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1 Introduction

Considering the climate change that has been one of the biggest concerned on this planet, Paris Agreement
clarified about the importance of limitation on increasing global temperature not as high as 1.5˚C. Thus
limitation could have been achievable by decreasing emission of CO2 for about tens Gt/year (IPCC, 2018),
one of which is by using the Carbon, Capture, (utilization), and Storage (CCS/CCUS) technology. In
general, CCS/CCUS is the injection and capturing carbon (e.g. CO 2) utilizing sub surface storage site
supported by the geological condition of the site. The carbon that had been injected can be captured
permanently (CCS), or stored to be utilized by changing the form of carbon to be valuable products (CCUS).
In addition to the CCS/CCUS advantages, it is important to observe its components such as well design and
materials, as will be discussed on this paper.

Well design is very crucial if we mention about the health, safety, and environment (HSE) aspect (Marbun
et al., 2021). Appropriate design of well was intended to mitigate any failure, such as corrosion of well
material that potentially occur by the appearance of aqueous environment and forming carbonate acid
(H2CO3) which is very corrosive (Li et al., 2019). That corrosion reaction might lead to loss (leakage) of
CO2 either from cracks or any wellbore failure. Besides the HSE aspects, the design of well was considered
from the availability of materials. Thus, could also related to the economical aspect on a certain life cycle
cost.

According to those statements above, it is clear that well integrity risk assessment is needed for injection
or production well, especially in Indonesia. Indonesia, which is still in a “compiling phase” of the
CCS/CCUS project’s regulation and require several standards, particularly on a technical aspect, like for
the production or injection well design and material. Even in worldwide, there are no spesific standard for
the CCS/CCUS well. In order to improve the CCS/CCUS project in Indonesia, the risk assessment is needed
to indicate the consequences through risks that potentially happen on the wellbore. Subsequently, the
International Standard Operation (ISO) and other standards from hydrocarbon injection and/or production
well, that will be mentioned, could be applied as a prevention and mitigation of the well failure on the
CCS/CCUS project.

2 Methods

Below the list of typical inputs to be considered to provide proper material selection:
• CO2 stream composition (mainly H2O, O2, NOx, SOx, H2S, CO, H2): clear impact on corrosion
and CO2 stream phase diagram. A worst-case composition shall be assessed, especially when
commingled streams coming from two or more sources are mixed together.
• Operational window as expected range of temperature and pressure is key to determine the
formation of free water or strong acids. This window shall not be limited to expected conditions
in steady state, but shall also include transition phases as commissioning, shut-in and restart.
o Minimum temperature in case of shut-in or during injection of dense CO2 in
depleted well: it will have clear impact on material toughness performance required.
o Maximum temperature and pressure will impact localized corrosion and stress
corrosion cracking at bottom hole.
• Formation water composition:
o Chloride content will impact localized corrosion of high alloy steel.
o Bicarbonate will impact in situ pH.
• Specified Minimum Yield Strength (SMYS) is the pipe mechanical strength required by well
design to guarantee the integrity of the completion. Yield strength level may be limited in

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Pengurasan Lapangan Minyak dan Gas di Indonesia“
 sour environment.

These following standards (Table 1) are the main references that are used on hydrocarbon exploration wells
and applicable for material selection candidate on CO2 injection and production well. References that
internationally has been used to mitigate the risks that potentially occur when injection or production phase
on hydrocarbon exploration’s well. Identification and analyzation of the risks comprise the existing and/or
new wells. The existing or even new wells also need an assessment based on standards below to ensure the
nonappearance of leakage between casing and cement.

Table 1. Standards related to the material selection candidate for CO2 injection and production well.
Overarching Aspects Capture Transport Storage
ISO/TR 27915: Quantification and ISO/TR 27912: CO2 capture ISO 27913: Pipeline ISO 27914: Geological
verification systems, technologies and transportation systems storage
processes
ISO/TR 27917: Vocabulary - cross ISO 27919-1: Performance DNV-RP-F104: Design ISO 27916: CO2 storage
cutting terms evaluation methods for and operation of using enhanced oil recovery
post-combustion CO2 carbon dioxide (CO2-EOR)
capture integrated with a pipelines
power plant
ISO/TR 27918: Lifecycle risk ISO 27919-2: Evaluation ISO/TR 27923: Geological
management for integrated CCS procedure to assure and storage of CO2 injection
projects maintain stable operations and
performance of post- infrastructure
combustion CO2 capture
plant integrated with a
power plant
ISO/TR 27921: CO2 stream ISO/TR 27922: Overview of ISO/TR 27926: CO2-EOR -
composition CO2 capture technologies in Transitioning from EOR to
the cement industry storage
ISO/TS 27924: Risk management
for integrated CCS projects
ISO/TR 27925: Flow assurance
ISO 17348: Petroleum and natural
gas industries — Materials
selection for high content CO2 for
casing, tubing and downhole
equipment
ISO 15156: Petroleum and natural
gas industries — Materials for use
in H2S-containing environments in
oil and gas production

3 Analysis of Risk Assessment

Through the identification and analysis of drilled borehole materials (existing well), low-temperature
resistance, and barrier of well, can make decisions on materials selection based on thus aspects as in Figure
1. Existing wells and/or new wells would be qualitatively identified, rather from the age, material, or even
the environment. Based on Parimal et al. (2021) that had been modified, the assessments of wellbore risk
are including analyzing of failure and risk that potentially occur on several risk scope (Tabel 2).

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 Composition and
Low temperature Identification of
mechanical Selection of
resistance material well barrier and
properties of well materials
identification impurities
material analysis

Figure 1. Workflow of material assessment.

Based on the risk assessment bellow, there are 17 scopes that necessarily considered on production or
injection well of CO2. Afterwards, the assessment is being evaluated with risk rating diagram that was
obtained from matrix between likelihood and impact of each section or risk’s scope (Parimal et al., 2021)
(Figure 2). Besides to indicate failure and leaking potential, risk level that had been qualified based on
assessment would gave clues to selection of well material. The higher level of section or scope will improve
the efficiency in one life cycle cost by indicate the priority of scope that needs to be maintained first.

Table 2. Wellbore risk assessment on several risk scope (modified from Parimal et al., 2021)

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 Figure 2. Classification of risk level based on the risk assessment (Parimal et al., 2021)

4 Well Material Selection Based on Assessment

In order to minimize the potential of risk, material selection is very necessary for the injection and
production wellbore of CO2. As it mentioned on Figure 1, identification is required, especially for corrosion
risk. Injection of gas, either dry or wet, have a different selection of material. Refered from ISO standards
(Table 1), wet gasses is more corrosive when it encounter the aqueous environment owing to low pH and
needs carbon resistant alloy (CRA) to avoid the corrosion. Spesific types of CRA are listed on ISO 13680
about CRA for casing, tubing, coupling stock, and other accessory materials. Instead of using CRA, dry gas
only required carbon steel or low alloy steel (ISO 17348).

Concerning the appearance of sulphur gasses, materials are written in ISO 15156 which is about all parts
of wellbore integrity. Actually, the lab test has not been done for materials selection in the presence of
sulfide stress cracking (SSC). Whereas SSC is corrosion that cause cracking of metal by presence of sulphur
and water. ISO 15156 also applied for any gasses like NOx, SOx, and any contaminant. If we refers to other
parameter, corrosivity also influenced by partial pressure. Based on the international standard operation
17348, dry gas injection could only use carbon steel if the partial pressure is higher than 1 MPA. It caused
by the condensation of water when it becomes to the transient or upset condition.

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If we do the material selection based on the chromium composition of steel, there are at least two aspects
that needs to be appraise, which are cost and efficiency. Higher composition such as 25Cr or 28Cr have
more capability to the local corrosion resistance but also need more cost. On the other side, 13Cr has less
capability to resist the local corrosion, instead it might be more economic rather than 25Cr and 28Cr.

5 Conclusion

CO2 injection and storage present specific risks related to material corrosion and temperature
embrittlement. While material selection rules are well established for H 2S and CO2 environment, there
are significant differences to be considered when injecting CO2 stream with impurities such as O2, NO2,
SO2, CO and H2. The use of 13Cr material is not recommended in case of low temperature or in presence of
impurities due to its low Charpy values but 13Cr material may be a cost-effective solution for CO2
stream with limited impurities and temperature drop while future developments on Equation of State
of CO2 with impurities will be required to predict in-situ condition, corrosion modelling and material
testing environments for this application. Finally, extensive testing program is require to define limits
of impurities for materials cost optimization and assuring well’s integrity. Well integrity with risk
assessment is needed for the improvement of CO 2 injection and production activities. The risk assessment
would obtain analysis of risk level based on each risk section or scope and could show which priority of
well’s integrity to maintain and affect the efficiency of one life cycle cost. Besides, the analysis and
identification was conducted on risk of corrosion that generally caused by water (aqueous environment).
In order to prevent and mitigate the corrosion, it is important to concentrate on material selection. Material
selection which had been done was based on several standards that was mention on section 2 (Methods).
This study could be a recommendation of the general basis of CCS/CCUS regulation in Indonesia.

Refrences

[1] M. E. Boot-Handford et al. 2014. Carbon capture and storage update. Energy Env. Sci, vol. 7, no 1,
p. 130-189. doi:10.1039/C3EE42350F

[2] R. Barker, Y. Hua, et A. Neville. 2017. Internal corrosion of carbon steel pipelines for dense-phase
CO2 transport in carbon capture and storage (CCS) – a review. Int. Mater. Rev., vol. 62, no 1, p. 1-31, janv.
doi: 10.1080/09506608.2016.1176306

[3] Marbun, B. T. H., et. al. 2021. Improvement of borehole and casing assessment of CO 2-EOR/CCUS
injection and production well candidates in Sukowati Field, Indonesia in a well-based scale. Energy Reports
7: 1598-1615. doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2021.03.019

[4] Parimal, A. P., et. al. 2021. Safeguarding CO2 storage by restoring well integrity using leakage rate
modelling LRM along wellbore in depleted gas fields offshore Sarawak. SPE-205537-MS.

[5] Asian Development Bank. 2019. Carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery in Indonesia: An assessment
of its role in a carbon capture and storage pathway. doi: 10.22617/TCS190600

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