EROSION VELOCITY LIMITS FOR WATER INJECTION SYSTEMS

The validity of the American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practic e 14E (API-RP 14E) erosion velocity limit to restrict flow rates is ex amined, and its conservatism is discussed. A C-factor of 450 is recomm ended for use in seawater injection systems constructed from corrosion -resistant alloys. In cases where corrosion can occur, such as in carb on steel systems, the API-RP 14E recommendation seems unclear. For car bon steel water injection systems, this report presents equations for selecting allowable C-factors in terms of desired life and operating c onditions such as oxygen level and temperature.