From Failure to Fix: Investigating 22Cr Duplex Stainless Steel 3x6 Reducer Failure - CANCELLED

Paper ID: C2025-00479 ABSTRACT: Duplex stainless steel, characterized by its enhanced strength, corrosion resistance properties and the unique dual-phase microstructure, plays critical role in oil and gas industry with intensive use in various applications. Assuring the quality, performance and longevity of duplex stainless steel components has been a major concern throughout the years. This paper objective is to present a case study that demonstrate the challenges associated with the quality of the first ever 3x6 22Cr duplex stainless steel reducer during installation phase at petroleum Development Oman. This end-user case shares the progression of the failure detection, lab evaluations, root cause analysis, lesson learned and the proposed future mitigation approach. The root cause of the failed reducer was found to be non-metallic inclusions that developed during the manufacturing process and subsequently worsened, attributable to cold work, resulting in a crack. The repetitive occurrence of duplex stainless steel failures and quality issues set off significant alarms. However, lessons take away can lead to significant advancements toward robust integrity assurance of duplex stainless steel materials.