Abstract

HPHT Equipment Structural Integrity and Fatigue Challenges

Standards Evolution, Materials, Design Verification Analysis and Validation Testing, and Advanced Product Quality Planning

Oil and gas drilling and production operations in high pressures (>15,000 psi) and/or high temperatures (>350ºF), with increasing structural strength and fatigue requirements and materials exposed to various fluids with adverse effects on their properties, are associated with higher risks.  It is crucial to the process of designing and manufacturing equipment for these higher risk operations that  equipment designs  are properly verified and validated and  proper materials are selected that are suitable for these environments. 

The regulatory bodies and industry standards are introducing additional and advanced analysis techniques for HPHT applications as part of the design verification phase. The lack of analysis inputs (HPHT material properties at different environments, fatigue inputs, etc.) make it challenging to work through this process. The use of advanced analysis techniques is a great tool in the design process, but the only way to verify the accuracy of the analysis inputs and methodologies and ensure safe operations is to perform validation testing. A proper understanding of the behavior of equipment under complex loading conditions is crucial and can only be achieved by taking into consideration both a component and system level approach for verification analysis and validation testing.

The fatigue performance evaluation and life expectancy of the equipment and challenges faced with the lack of material properties and expected cyclic loads at various HPHT environments are discussed. Another important element introduced is the implementation of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) which makes use of FMECA for risk assessment, and creates a process that ensures the quality of the design and manufacturing processes from initial concept to final product.

About the Speaker

Dr. Jim Kaculi, P.E., Dril-Quip Inc.

Vice President - Engineering

Dr. Kaculi is the Vice President of Engineering at Dril-Quip, Inc. and is responsible for the company global engineering activities. He has over 15 years experience in design and analysis of a wide-range of subsea drilling and production equipment and has expertise in stress analysis (FEA) and fatigue/fracture mechanics.  He holds Bachelor of Engineering Science (Polytechnic University of Tirana), Master of Engineering Science and Doctor of Engineering (Lamar University) degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Was involved in over five years of scientific research in Nanotechnology. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas and has authored several technical papers, including a US patent.