Choosing high-quality materials for use in OCTG products (oil country tubular goods) is always an important step. From rugged plastics that reliably withstand exposure to UV to steel that resists stripping and corrosion, OCTG products made from the best and most suitable materials excel where others come up short. As an American Petroleum Institute (API) standards leader, MSI Pipe Protection Technologies consistently provides products and materials that always withstand the rigors of service in the oil and gas industry.
Materials Fit for the Heaviest, Most Demanding Oil and Gas Industry Duties
Every material meant for use in an OCTG product must be selected such that all the relevant requirements will be met simultaneously. The three general types of materials that are most commonly found in OCTG applications today are:
- Steel. Long a mainstay of the oil and gas industry, steel has evolved in various ways to keep up with the demands of the modern environment. In many cases, the demand in OCTGs will limit the applicability of thermo-mechanical processing techniques that endow many other steel alloys with additional strength. Molybdenum is often used as a hardener for OCTG-focused steel blends, with modern alloys that boast high resistance to sulphide stress cracking typically including about 0.75 percent of the element by weight.
- Plastic. Properly chosen plastics can be used to manufacture everything from thread protectors to pipe employed in oil and gas gathering lines. Because plastic formulations can be adjusted even more freely and easily than steel alloys, especially close fits between requirements and observed performance become much more practical to achieve. From pipes made of reinforced thermoplastic to high- and low-density varieties of polyethylene, plastics of various kinds consistently deliver everything asked of them and more in OCTG applications.
- Composites. Steel, plastics, and other materials can also be combined in OCTG products to enable selected benefits of each. Thread protectors that incorporate steel and plastic, for example, can provide the impressive impact resistance of the former with the near-immunity to corrosion of the latter.
A Basic Safeguard Against Many Common Dangers
While there are many other factors to consider, choosing the best and most appropriate materials always goes a long way toward ensuring that OCTG products will perform as hoped in the field. Some of the types of stress that high-quality materials can protect against include:
- Vibration that can undermine structural integrity and eventually lead to failure.
- Corrosion which could eat away steadily at the strength of OCTG products.
- Impacts that crush, fracture, and destroy much-needed OCTGs in a single stroke.
- Temperature extremes and swings which weaken lesser materials over time until failure becomes inevitable.
- Stripping of threads and fittings that can render OCTG parts useless.
- Ultra-violet radiation whose deteriorating effects accumulate steadily in some types of plastic.
Relying on an API standards leader like MSI Pipe Protection Technologies, makes it easy to feel assured that all the protection and performance-related benefits that top-quality, innovative materials can provide in pipe protection and various OCTG products is always available. Where inferior or outdated materials might endanger entire projects, those selected and provided by MSI always meet and exceed expectations.
Connect with us today, by calling for orders and more information at 877-276-9208. For added convenience, feel free to request a quote online now!
