Perfluoroelastomers improve reliability, increase mean time between repairs and reduce operating costs. The oil and gas industry is on a quest for new oil resources, and companies are being forced to drill deeper in new, more difficult formations, leading to upstream operating temperatures in excess of 200 C (392 F) and pressures above 29,000 psi. EOR methods such as injection of steam or CO_2 under high pressure, presence of higher concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H_2S) in the wells and amine-based corrosion inhibitors can seriously challenge the polymers used downhole to seal drilling equipment, particularly in cases where a sudden drop in pressure can cause seal damage from rapid gas decompression (RGD). These more aggressive chemical environments are beyond the mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance of most commonly used sealing elastomers, including hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR) and fluoroelastomer (FKM).
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