Copper-beryllium alloy used for oil exploration tools

Citation

(1998), "Copper-beryllium alloy used for oil exploration tools", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 45 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.1998.12845eab.010

Copper-beryllium alloy used for oil exploration tools

Methods

Copper-beryllium alloy used for oil exploration tools

Keywords Brush Wellman, Exploration

The offshore oil and gas industry depends heavily on locating reserves efficiently and accurately. One company that manufactures suitable exploration tooling is Geolink (UK) Ltd of Aberdeen. Its tool designs have proved extremely successful and one crucial factor is the material used for many of the core components ­ Brush Wellman's copper-beryllium Brush Alloy 25 (Plate 6).

A number of material properties are said to make Brush Alloy 25 well-suited to Geolink's tool components, and especially the way copper-beryllium may be heat-treated to induce precipitation hardening. Thus it is reported to be possible to use pre-treated stock of 110,000psi yield strength (0.2 per cent offset) for the relatively flexible collars, 150,000psi yield strength for the thin-walled pressure-resistant housings and 170,000psi yield strength for the couplings between the housings.

Plate 6 Copper-beryllium alloy used for oil exploration tools by Geolink

Many of the components are extremely complex and require a great deal of machining. Turning, milling, drilling and tapping may all be necessary, and the excellent machinability of Brush Alloy 25 allows these operations to be carried out very easily and with a good resultant surface finish.

As some of the instrumentation makes use of the earth's magnetic field it is essential that the housings are non-magnetic; in this respect copper-beryllium compares very well against alternative alloys, including the non-magnetic stainless steels. Copper-beryllium also has excellent resistance to galling and this is important for threaded joints. Because of the harsh down-hole environment, resistance to corrosion and stress-corrosion is also an important benefit of using copper-beryllium.

Further details are available from Brush Wellman Limited. Tel: + 44(0) 118 930 3733; Fax: +44(0) 118 930 3635.