A sour gas-gathering pipeline, located in northern Canada, failed by sulfide stress cracking in the body of the pipe. The low strength pipeline was designed and constructed for sour service. The cause of the failure was excessive stress largely due to ice build-up from a nearby ice-road. Numerous cracks and colonies of cracks formed on the internal pipe surface because of high stress. These cracks grew in stages related to the build-up of ice during winter.
Keywords: Sulfide Stress Cracking, SSC, Failure Analysis, Carbon Steel, Pipeline, High Stress, Sour Natural Gas.