CNPC USA Wins AMPP “Outstanding Engineering” Award
2025-12-03
On December 1 it was confirmed that CNPC USA’s research project— Redefining Ni Alloy Boundaries for Extreme Sour HTHP Conditions: From Fundamental Corrosion Mechanisms to Global Standard Revision— has been awarded the Project Award in Outstanding Engineering in the Area of Materials Protection or Remediation.
The AMPP Outstanding Engineering Award is presented globally each year, with only one project selected for this top honor. It recognizes exceptional engineering achievements in the field of materials protection. According to AMPP’s selection committee, this award highlights contributions with significant industry impact, technological innovation, and strong application prospects. Recipients must demonstrate notable breakthroughs that enhance engineering safety, cost efficiency, and long-term applicability.
CNPC USA’s award-winning work addresses a major technical challenge in downhole materials for high-temperature and ultra-high-sour wells. The research team identified the limitations of the traditional “partial pressure” severity-evaluation method, a framework used globally for more than 50 years, and proposed a new evaluation approach better suited to extreme high-temperature and high-pressure sour environments. Their work expanded the safe usage boundary of Alloy 718 from the ISO/NACE-specified ~200 psi to nearly 910 psi. Using this breakthrough, multiple high-risk sour-gas testing programs were completed safely in CNPC USA’s laboratory. These results not only advance the scientific understanding of corrosion and material performance, but also form the foundation for future ISO/NACE standard upgrades.
In terms of engineering applications, this new methodology has already been integrated into tool-material selection workflows, enabling a systematic and highly reliable process for designing high-temperature, ultra-high-sour packers. The team developed specialized experimental procedures, simulation tools, and safety-validation pathways, resulting in substantial reductions in material and tool costs. Supported by international academic partners and oilfield operators, the research has gained broad industry recognition, creating a strong bridge from laboratory innovation to field deployment.
The methodology has now been successfully applied to multiple high-temperature, high-pressure sour-gas projects. Several domestic tool-material suppliers have achieved international certification based on this framework, reshaping China’s technical landscape for extreme-environment downhole materials. As China advances ultra-high-sour resource development and CCUS engineering, this new system will play an increasingly influential role. The global award also underscores China’s rising impact and leadership in the field of downhole material science.