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Inspection, Integrity and Corrosion

Materials for Sour Service

A high strength bolt or a hard heat affected zone can crack within hours of meeting wet hydrogen sulphide, with no metal loss to warn anyone. NACE MR0175 and ISO 15156 exist to keep such materials out of sour wells and plant. Delegates first learn the chemistry: how H2S partial pressure, pH and chloride define the severity regions, and how sulphide stress cracking, hydrogen induced cracking, stepwise cracking and stress oriented hydrogen induced cracking differ. They then work through the hardness limits for carbon and low alloy steels, welding and hardness traverse requirements, and the tables governing martensitic, austenitic and duplex stainless steels and nickel alloys. Laboratory qualification by NACE TM0177 and TM0284 testing is explained, with refinery wet H2S practice under NACE SP0472. Delegates leave able to specify and challenge sour service material documentation.

5 day course

Course objectives

  • Explain how hydrogen sulphide causes cracking without measurable metal loss
  • Determine the sour severity region from H2S partial pressure and pH
  • Distinguish sulphide stress cracking, HIC, stepwise cracking and SOHIC
  • Apply the hardness limits for carbon and low alloy steels and their welds
  • Select corrosion resistant alloys from the ISO 15156 environmental limit tables
  • Interpret TM0177 and TM0284 laboratory test reports
  • Specify hardness control for welding in refinery wet H2S service
  • Evaluate a supplier's material compliance documentation for sour duty

Who should attend

  • Materials and corrosion engineers in oil and gas production
  • Well completion and subsurface equipment engineers
  • Refinery engineers responsible for sour water and amine units
  • Procurement and quality engineers buying sour service materials
  • Welding engineers qualifying procedures for H2S duty

Course outline

  1. 01Hydrogen sulphide chemistry and severity regions
  2. 02Sulphide stress cracking and hydrogen induced cracking
  3. 03Stepwise cracking and SOHIC
  4. 04Carbon and low alloy steel hardness limits
  5. 05Welding and hardness traverse requirements
  6. 06Corrosion resistant alloys in ISO 15156
  7. 07Laboratory testing to TM0177 and TM0284
  8. 08Refinery wet H2S practice
  9. 09Material documentation for sour duty

Scheduled sessions

Scheduled sessions for Materials for Sour Service
DatesVenueFormatPriceRegister
2 to 6 November 2026OnlineOnlineR8,500 per delegate
4 to 8 January 2027Casablanca, MoroccoClassroomUSD 1,325 per delegate
15 to 19 February 2027Kampala, UgandaClassroomUSD 1,325 per delegate

Materials for Sour Service

From R8,500

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