Development of corrosion resistant alloys for the oil and gas industry

The introduction of corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs) into the oil and gas industry began in the early 1970s. The history of this development is reviewed, including economic incentives, manufacturing challenges, new alloy developments, and identification of risks of stress corrosion cracking upon exposure to produced brines. Both the advances in corrosion engineering required to defining acceptable CRA/environment applications and associated advances in corrosion science are highlighted, as well as the trends in future developments.