Wear of hydrotransport lines in Athabasca oil sands

Erosion and corrosive wear in hydrotransport lines in the Fort McMurray Athabasca Oil Sands Industry have been an ongoing issue since industry startup 45 years ago. Material performance is highly dependent on specific conditions along the pipelines, which makes the material selection for optimum wear performance difficult. Carbon steel (CS), chrome carbide overlaid CS, dual phase stainless steel, urethane lined CS, as well as high chromium cast iron have been effectively used at specific locations to optimize the pipeline life and cost. This paper will suggest an explanation as to the material loss mechanisms that come into play and why different materials perform better in certain locations in the field. A comparison between common lab tests for wear and field performance will be discussed. The material degradation rate is dependent on the pressure, size of the transported material, density, temperature of the mixture, velocity, distance pumped as well as the water chemistry. Pipe geometry also has a great effect. Erosion and corrosion are the two main degradation mechanisms encountered in the hydrotransport piping systems. Understanding the interaction between these variables as well as the performance of different piping materials allows the optimization of the costs of handling these slurries by minimizing unscheduled downtimes and maximizing productive time. Interpreting lab results and the wear mechanisms involved are important for effective selection of improved materials.