Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC

REFINERY ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS CORE

GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING THE SEVERITY OF WET SOUR SERVICES SECTION

SPECIFICATION NO.

SP-99-07
PAGE 1 of 4 REV. 9 12/11/01

PAGE

1.0SCOPE...............................................................................................................................................................2 2.0SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS..................................................................................3 3.0DEFINITIONS..................................................................................................................................................3

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REFINERY ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS CORE
REQUIREMENTS FOR CARBON AND LOW ALLOY STEELS IN WET SOUR SERVICES 1.0 SCOPE

SPECIFICATION NO.

SP-99-07
PAGE 2 of 4 REV. 9 12/11/01

This standard provides guidelines for determining the severity of wet sour services. The severity determines the types of preventative measures to be used to minimize the risk of damage caused by wet H 2S in refinery applications. (While this standard is applicable to low-alloy steels in wet sour service, it should be noted that normal materials selection practice results in very few applications of low-alloy steels in wet sour services.) Damage caused by wet H2S includes: 1.1 Hydrogen stress cracking. When caused by wet H2S, this form of cracking is often called sulfide stress corrosion cracking. Such cracking usually initiates in the toes of a weld and propagates along the heat affected zone. This type of cracking tends to develop through-thickness cracks. Hydrogen induced cracking, often referred to as HIC. This form of cracking occurs only in plate or plate products. The cracking phenomenon begins with the formation of nascent hydrogen as a result of hydrogen sulfide corroding the steel plate. The nascent hydrogen becomes dissolved in the steel, forming hydrogen gas (H2) at the sites of non-metallic inclusions. As the H2 pressure increases, cracks form. Initially, the crack plane is parallel to the surfaces of the plate. a. If such inclusion sites are near a surface, blisters form. If the sites are numerous and embedded and the plate is less than about 2 in. thick, a split can develop parallel to the surfaces of the plate. The effect is often viewed as a very large blister. b. If the plate is relatively thick, staggered internal HIC cracks can link up, via cross-tearing (sometimes called step-wise cracking). In extreme cases, step-wise cracking can cause throughthickness cracks. 1.3 Stress-oriented hydrogen induced cracking, usually referred to as SOHIC. SOHIC forms throughthickness cracks by linking up stacked small internal cracks that resemble small HIC cracks. Cracking usually initiates in the heat affected zone of a thick weld (e.g., full penetration nozzle weld) and propagates into the base metal. Purchase orders for piping and equipment intended for wet sour service must include a statement indicating the severity of the service. One of three levels of severity (Low Risk, Simple or Severe, as defined in paragraph 3 below) must be stated in the purchase order. Specification SP-99-06 (Material and Welding Requirements for Piping/Vessels in Wet H2S Service) will accompany the purchase order. The instructions for fabricators contained in this specification vary according to the severity of the service.

1.2

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REFINERY ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS CORE
2.0 SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS Table 1 lists the codes and standards which shall be used with this standard.
TABLE 1 Codes, Standards & Specifications MAP Specification SP-99-06 Material and Welding Requirements for Piping/Vessels in Wet H2S Service NACE MRO175 Sulfide Stress Cracking Resistant Metallic Materials for Oil Field Equipment (latest edition)

SPECIFICATION NO.

SP-99-07
PAGE 3 of 4 REV. 9 12/11/01

RPO472 Methods and Controls to Prevent In-Service Cracking of Carbon Steel Weldments in Corrosive Petroleum Refining Environments (latest edition) 8X194 Materials and Fabrication For New Pressure Vessels Used in Wet H2S Refinery Service

3.0

DEFINITIONS A wet sour service is defined by either of the following conditions. 3.1 3.2 3.3 Liquid water is present and the hydrogen sulfide partial pressure exceeds 0.05 psia (0.34 kPa) Liquid water is considered to be sour if the dissolved hydrogen sulfide concentration is at least 50 ppmw. Wet sour service severities are defined as follows: 3.3.1 Low Risk Service A Low Risk Service is defined as a wet sour service for which the operating pressure is less than 65 psia (0.45 MPa) 3.3.2 Simple Wet Sour Service A Simple Wet Sour Service is defined as a wet sour service, operating at a pressure of at least 65 psia (0.45 MPa), that contains no other crack inducing agents or cathodic poisons (e.g., cyanides at a concentration greater than 20 ppmw). 3.3.3 Severe Wet Sour Service A Severe Wet Sour Service is defined as a wet sour service that operates at a pressure of at least 65 psia (0.45 MPa) and: a. b. c. d. contain other crack inducing agents (such as amines at concentrations exceeding 2 wt. percent or contain cathodic poisons (such as cyanides at a concentration exceeding 20 ppmw), or contain acid salts (e.g., NH4HS) in concentrations exceeding 2 wt. percent, or are systems known to be especially susceptible to various forms of wet H2S cracking (e.g., wet sour light hydrocarbons). See NACE 8X194 for a detailed discussion of equipment in severe wet sour services in refineries.

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REFINERY ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS CORE
3.4 Exceptions

SPECIFICATION NO.

SP-99-07
PAGE 4 of 4 REV. 9 12/11/01

There are some Low Risk and Simple Wet Sour Services for which it is normal practice to adopt the preventative measures normally restricted to severe Wet Sour Services. Examples include the following: a. b. c. d. Facilities in which leaks are unacceptable. Thin ligament pressure-containing components such as tube-to-tubesheet welds, where leaks could develop quickly and would require unscheduled maintenance. Facilities in which a leak would release lethal quantities of a toxic substance. In new equipment and piping, where subsequent repairs after long-term service would be excessively expensive (e.g., repairs where congestions may make it very difficult to mobilize equipment). Some low-pressure services have been found to be especially susceptible to HIC (e.g., the overhead systems in FCC and delayed coker units (these services typically contain significant concentrations of cyanides).

e.