Oil and gas industry
The French Corrosion Institute provides specialized corrosion testing and material qualification services for the oil and gas industry. Our laboratories conduct testing in H₂S and CO₂ environments (sour service, sweet service), HIC, SSC, and SOHIC testing in accordance with NACE/ISO standards, as well as evaluations of resistance to hydrogen embrittlement for carbon steels, stainless steels, and alloys. We operate across the entire value chain—exploration, production, pipeline transport, and refining—to ensure the integrity of equipment under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions.
Corrosion in the oil and gas sector: among the most aggressive environments
Exploration, production, transport, and refining activities expose equipment to some of the most aggressive environments in industry: acidic media containing H₂S and CO₂, high pressures and temperatures, and condensates rich in chlorides and toxic gases. Controlling corrosion in this sector is a sine qua non condition for ensuring personnel safety, maintaining the integrity of installations, and complying with regulatory requirements. For several decades, the French Corrosion Institute has been supporting stakeholders in the oil and gas industry with advanced technical expertise and dedicated testing facilities.
Our missions for the Oil & Gas sector
- Qualify materials and equipment under service-representative conditions (HP/HT, sour service, acid gases).
- Identify and understand corrosion mechanisms specific to oil and gas environments.
- Contribute to optimizing protection solutions and material selection.
- Coordinate collaborative industrial projects (JIPs) with major stakeholders in the sector.
Oil & Gas corrosion testing: NACE standards, HIC, SSC, hydrogen embrittlement, and tailored solutions
- Participation in JIPs (Joint Industrial Projects) and R&D programs
- Standardized testing: NACE TM0177, TM0284, TM0316, TM0198, MR0175
- Testing in H₂S environments: HIC, SCC, slow strain rate, constant load
- High-pressure/high-temperature testing (up to 700 bar / 350 °C)
- Hydrogen permeation testing (atmospheric pressure and under pressure)
- High-pressure electrochemical testing
- Corrosion fatigue testing under pressure
- Development of custom test rigs for real components
- Consulting, material selection, and failure analysis
For a detailed overview of our protocols and equipment for testing under toxic and/or explosive gases, please visit our Testing Facilities for Toxic Gases page.
Activities of the MRC “CCUS and H2S”
Within the ARCOR association, the French Corrosion Institute conducts collaborative projects with major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry: Alleima, Saipem, Aperam, Subsea7, ArcelorMittal / OCAS, Technip Energies, TechnipFMC – FlexiFrance, TotalEnergies One Tech, National Oilwell Varco, Vallourec, Outokumpu Stainless AB, voestalpine Böhler Edelstahl, and Shell.
The main research areas of the MRC focus first on the selection and qualification of materials suited to service conditions, such as carbon steels, stainless steels, and various alloys, depending on operating environments. This also involves an in-depth understanding of degradation mechanisms, notably Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) and Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC), in order to anticipate risks and improve equipment durability. Furthermore, the development of representative testing methods is a key challenge to accurately reproduce real conditions and validate material performance. Finally, this work is strongly application-driven, providing technical support to the Oil & Gas industry, CO₂ transport, and offshore activities.
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