In the oil and gas industry, it is known that equipments which operate in hydrogen sulfide
(H2S) media can be subjected to damages like Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC) and Sulfide
Stress Cracking (SSC). At the present time, material selection for sour environments is
generally obtained using standard tests (NACE TM0177 and NACE TM0284) which give
information about the resistance of steels in sour service. These tests are suitable for a quick
assessment of candidate steels by operators or steel suppliers. However they cannot provide
detailed information to better understand and quantify the damage occurring during the service
life of steel components.