Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

For gas and crude oil reserves, Canada's ranks third in the world. Production and transmission of oil and gas arekey sectors of Canada's economy. As conventional supplies of oil and gas are being exhausted, new sources must be harvested from increasingly harsh environments using new technologies. The technological challenges of transporting these resources from production sites to markets requires construction of an infrastructure for transportation to processing hubs in Western Canada and to markets in Eastern and Western Canada, and the U.S. Both production and transmission of oil and gas from these remote locations demand thicker walled large diameter pipes with improved materials to ensure reliability, public safety and environmental protection. This trend is one driven by the pipeline industry. As a result, EVRAZ is implementing a $200million expansion in its Regina mills to improve quality, increase productivity and produce thicker walled pipe.The proposed research will address critical issues on the manufacture of thicker walled pipe with desired microstructure and properties for the transmission (pipeline) and production (downhole tubular) of oil and gas. Thus, the characterization of centreline segregation of continuously cast slabs, the efficient utilization of laminar cooling on the run out table, the formation and effect of nano-precipitates formed after the run out table, the properties and characterization of the weld and the heat-affected zone will be studied in this project. In oil and gas production, enhanced corrosion resistance (HIC, SSC) is required as wells are becoming increasingly sour. This project is composed of six interdependent studies to develop new knowledge for EVRAZ Inc. NA and TCPL. Each year, six graduate students and a PDF will be part of this project. Funding for a half-Program Manager and half- time Program-Manager Assistant is also requested. A yearly workshop will provide a mechanism to transfer knowledge from Canadian universities to industry in addition to the Technical Liaisons from industry working alongside graduate students.