Gold plated metal seals for Oil & Gas couplings
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Gold plated metal seals for Oil & Gas couplings

Our customer designs and manufactures hydraulic distribution products and systems. These are used to control subsea production systems for the offshore energy industry globally.  We explore here how our gold plated metal seal solution suited the application due to its malleability and suitability for slightly dynamic operation.

The application

This seal application is for a range of dual resistant hydraulic couplings, designed to be suitable for make and break under full system pressure. Additionally, there are three different sizes in the same design of coupling.

The customer had been using a back-to-back elastomer O-ring arrangement. However, wanted to develop a superior sealing solution to achieve a greater number of connect/disconnects per coupling (therefore improving the lifespan).

The application itself was high pressure at 15,000 psi.  The temperature range wasn’t particularly demanding compared to other Oil & Gas applications. However, because the couplings were for subsea equipment, contact with well fluids and control fluids is likely. As result, the seals required NACE approval.

Our sealing solution

Our engineers recommended a metal seal for this application because of pressure and compatibility requirements with the various hydraulic fluids. The action of mating/de-mating the coupling meant this seal had to perform under a slightly dynamic movement.

The seal base alloy was NACE MR0175 – heat treated to obtain the standard desired properties for oil and gas specific application service. Notably, catastrophic failure can occur when a material that doesn’t comply with the NACE MR0175 heat treatment requirement, is then exposed to H2S. Additionally, gold plating of the seal was recommended due to its malleability and suitability for a slightly dynamic operation.

An extensive cycle testing process took place. Consequently, the customer confirmed that the new concept metal seal solution performed under the required conditions with no leakage.

Customer satisfaction

This sealing arrangement extended the life of the couplings by achieving 100 connect/disconnect cycles before the seals needed changing. This was substantially higher than the original sealing solution and gold plated metal seals are now supplied in production quantities.

Gold plated metal seals for Oil & Gas couplings

Our customer designs and manufactures hydraulic distribution products and systems. These are used to control subsea production systems for the offshore energy industry globally.  We explore here how our gold plated metal seal solution suited the application due to its malleability and suitability for slightly dynamic operation.

The application

This seal application is for a range of dual resistant hydraulic couplings, designed to be suitable for make and break under full system pressure. Additionally, there are three different sizes in the same design of coupling.

The customer had been using a back-to-back elastomer O-ring arrangement. However, wanted to develop a superior sealing solution to achieve a greater number of connect/disconnects per coupling (therefore improving the lifespan).

The application itself was high pressure at 15,000 psi.  The temperature range wasn’t particularly demanding compared to other Oil & Gas applications. However, because the couplings were for subsea equipment, contact with well fluids and control fluids is likely. As result, the seals required NACE approval.

Our sealing solution

Our engineers recommended a metal seal for this application because of pressure and compatibility requirements with the various hydraulic fluids. The action of mating/de-mating the coupling meant this seal had to perform under a slightly dynamic movement.

The seal base alloy was NACE MR0175 – heat treated to obtain the standard desired properties for oil and gas specific application service. Notably, catastrophic failure can occur when a material that doesn’t comply with the NACE MR0175 heat treatment requirement, is then exposed to H2S. Additionally, gold plating of the seal was recommended due to its malleability and suitability for a slightly dynamic operation.

An extensive cycle testing process took place. Consequently, the customer confirmed that the new concept metal seal solution performed under the required conditions with no leakage.

Customer satisfaction

This sealing arrangement extended the life of the couplings by achieving 100 connect/disconnect cycles before the seals needed changing. This was substantially higher than the original sealing solution and gold plated metal seals are now supplied in production quantities.