Application of titanium materials such as titanium alloy rods in deep sea oilfields

Titanium has traditionally been an aerospace material, but it can also be used at sea. The aviation industry consumes more than the average amount of titanium used worldwide each year, while other aspects consume several percentage points. Non-aeronautical applications are: chemical, medical and sports equipment and other applications.

 

  The offshore industry currently consumes approximately 5% of the world's titanium use and is mainly used in the oil and gas industry. The main reason for the low demand in this regard is that titanium is expensive, and the market price of sponge titanium is 5-7 USD / kg.

 

  Although titanium has been used in offshore operations for about 20 years, the main progress began in these 10 years, mainly for offshore exploration of oil and gas.

 

  Because titanium resists seawater erosion, it is mostly used on offshore platforms or underwater. It is mainly used in piping systems as ballast tanks, cooling, fire prevention, etc. In addition, it is also used in rig pipes, tapered connections, risers, flow pipes and valves.

 

  Titanium oxide films are resistant to seawater erosion up to 130 ° C. Titanium can also prevent erosion of seawater cracks below 80 ° C, while stainless steel's function is limited to 10 ° C. In addition, titanium also has corrosion resistance to hydrocarbons and crude oil. The anticorrosive properties of titanium make it a long life for offshore applications, which is crucial because offshore repair operations are very time consuming and costly.

  

  Weight loss and strength are important for building offshore platforms. Titanium can have the strength of steel, but only 55% of its weight.

 

  Titanium is flexible and easy to shape; this combination of properties is very important for stress-reducing joints and steel risers, because they must adjust their position at any time according to the direction of sea movement.

 

  For the aquatic portion of an offshore platform, material life is not as important as underwater applications. If a project takes only 3-5 years, then carbon steel is perfectly adequate because it is much cheaper. But for projects up to 20-30 years, titanium should be used more. Titanium can last up to 50 years under water, which eliminates the need for major maintenance throughout the life of a project. Therefore, the application of titanium should focus on the application under the sea.