Hydrogen charging in low alloy steels exposed to H 2 S: impact of CO 2 or N 2 in the gas mixture

International audienceThis paper examines the influence of CO 2 / H 2 S ratio on hydrogen charging in low alloy steels. Hydrogen flux through the steel surface is the driving force for sulfide stress cracking (SSC). The impact of H 2 S and pH on SSC severity is extremely well documented, and these two parameters are used in the SSC severity diagram of ISO 15156-2 [1]. However, the CO 2 / H 2 S ratio is not considered in standard SSC testing procedures, even though it has a strong impact on corrosion. Indeed, according to several authors, competitive adsorption between HS-and HCO 3-on the steel surface could modify the charging flux, thus the SSC risks. The goal of the present study was to check if hydrogen charging is influenced by other parameters than the sole pH and P H2S. Experiments consisted in hydrogen permeation measurements through HSLA steel thin membranes. They were performed under cathodic charging in order to avoid corrosion products precipitation. Charging solutions with different H 2 S concentrations with or without CO 2 were used, in order to examine the individual contributions to the charging flux, and hence to evaluate a possible impact on SSC risks

pH prediction in concentrated aqueous solutions under high pressure of acid gases and high temperature

International audienceAn extended model for pH prediction in oil and gas environments has been developed. Accurate pH calculations for high pressure and high temperature applications depends mainly on CO2 and H2S partial pressures, the ionic strength, the chemical composition of the solution, and the temperature. Accounting for the non-ideal behaviors of liquid and gas phases allows pH calculations up to 200 °C, 2000 bar total pressure, and ionic strengths up to 5 mol.L-1. The results are consistent with experimental measurements and with other models reported in the literature

Improving pH Prediction for High Pressure and High Temperature Applications in Oil and Gas Production

International audiencepH prediction represents a crucial step before selecting materials for use in sour oil and gas wells as regards weight loss corrosion and H 2 S cracking. Among the numerous parameters which determine the equilibrium pH, important ones are CO 2 and H 2 S partial pressures (P CO2 and P H2S respectively), the total pressure, the ionic strength and the chemical composition of the solution, and the temperature. Most models used by oil and gas operators present a too narrow range of validity for these parameters, which makes them inappropriate for high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) fields or for CO 2 reinjection. This paper presents modeling improvements which allows extending the prediction validity in temperature and pressure to respectively 200 °C and 1,000 bar of total pressure, and for an ionic strength up to 5 mol.kg-1. These improvements take into account the fugacities in gas phase of CO 2 and H 2 S as determined by the Soreide and Whitson formalism. The influence of water and CH 4 pressure is also taken into account up to several hundred bars. Activity coefficients in the water phase are calculated using the Pitzer model. The consistency of the model is verified by comparison with experimental measurements of pH under high pressure. It is then applied to oil and gas applications at high pressure and high temperature. The impact of the new calculation method is discussed both for pH evaluation and also for H 2 S activity, with strong implications for the evaluation of SSC risks

Immunogenicity of a Monovalent 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Vaccine Among Pregnant Women: Lowered Antibody Response by Prior Seasonal Vaccination

Background. Pregnant women are a high-risk group for influenza-associated complications and hospitalizations

Detection of Extensive Cross-Neutralization between Pandemic and Seasonal A/H1N1 Influenza Viruses Using a Pseudotype Neutralization Assay

BACKGROUND: Cross-immunity between seasonal and pandemic A/H1N1 influenza viruses remains uncertain. In particular, the extent that previous infection or vaccination by seasonal A/H1N1 viruses can elicit protective immunity against pandemic A/H1N1 is unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Neutralizing titers against seasonal A/H1N1 (A/Brisbane/59/2007) and against pandemic A/H1N1 (A/California/04/2009) were measured using an HIV-1-based pseudovirus neutralization assay. Using this highly sensitive assay, we found that a large fraction of subjects who had never been exposed to pandemic A/H1N1 express high levels of pandemic A/H1N1 neutralizing titers. A significant correlation was seen between neutralization of pandemic A/H1N1 and neutralization of a standard seasonal A/H1N1 strain. Significantly higher pandemic A/H1N1 neutralizing titers were measured in subjects who had received vaccination against seasonal influenza in 2008-2009. Higher pandemic neutralizing titers were also measured in subjects over 60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings reveal that the extent of protective cross-immunity between seasonal and pandemic A/H1N1 influenza viruses may be more important than previously estimated. This cross-immunity could provide a possible explanation of the relatively mild profile of the recent influenza pandemic

Meta-Analysis of the Immunogenicity and Tolerability of Pandemic Influenza A 2009 (H1N1) Vaccines

Background: Although the 2009 (H1N1) influenza pandemic officially ended in August 2010, the virus will probably circulate in future years. Several types of H1N1 vaccines have been tested including various dosages and adjuvants, and meta-analysis is needed to identify the best formulation. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and nine clinical trial registries to April 2011, in any language for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on healthy children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Primary outcome was the seroconversion rate according to hemagglutinination-inhibition (HI); secondary outcomes were adverse events. For the primary outcome, we used head-to-head meta-analysis and multiple-treatments meta-analysis. Results: Eighteen RCTs could be included in all primary analyses, for a total of 76 arms (16,725 subjects). After 2 doses, all 2009 H1N1 split/subunit inactivated vaccines were highly immunogenic and overcome CPMP seroconversion criteria. After 1 dose only, all split/subunit vaccines induced a satisfactory immunogenicity (> = 70%) in adults and adolescents, while only some formulations showed acceptable results for children and elderly (non-adjuvanted at high-doses and oil-in-water adjuvanted vaccines). Vaccines with oil-in-water adjuvants were more immunogenic than both nonadjuvanted and aluminum-adjuvanted vaccines at equal doses and their immunogenicity at doses < = 6 μg (even with as little as 1.875 μg of hemagglutinin antigen) was not significantly lower than that achieved after higher doses. Finally, the rate of serious vaccine-related adverse events was low for all 2009 H1N1 vaccines (3 cases, resolved in 10 days, out of 22826 vaccinated subjects). However, mild to moderate adverse reactions were more (and very) frequent for oil-in-water adjuvanted vaccines. Conclusions: Several one-dose formulations might be valid for future vaccines, but 2 doses may be needed for children, especially if a low-dose non-adjuvanted vaccine is used. Given that 15 RCTs were sponsored by vaccine manufacturers, future trials sponsored by non-industry agencies and comparing vaccines using different types of adjuvants are needed

Immunogenicity and Cross-Reactivity of 2009–2010 Inactivated Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in US Adults and Elderly

The campaign of 2009–2010 Northern Hemisphere seasonal vaccination was concurrent with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Using a hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay, we evaluated the immunogenicity and cross-reactivity of 2009–2010 inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in US adult and elderly populations. Vaccination of TIV resulted in a robust boost on the antibody response of all subjects to seasonal A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) and A/Uruguay/716/2007 (H3N2) with over 70% of recipients reaching a seroprotective titer of 40. B/Brisbane/60/2008 was the least immunogenic among the three seasonal vaccine strains with <30% of TIV recipients reaching a seroprotective titer of 40. TIV vaccination also induced a moderate boost on the pandemic specific antibody responses. Twenty-four percent of adults and 36% of elderly reached a seroprotective HAI titer of 40 or more against pandemic A/South Carolina/18/2009 (H1N1) after receiving TIV compared to 4% and 7% at the beginning of vaccination, respectively. In addition, 22% of adults and 34% of elderly showed an increase of 4-fold or more in A/South Carolina/18/2009 specific HAI titers after TIV vaccination. The pandemic specific cross-reactive antibodies strongly correlated with the post-vaccination HAI titers against the seasonal H3N2 vaccine strain in all subjects

Antibody Dynamics of 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Virus in Infected Patients and Vaccinated People in China

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the risk of the recurrence and the efficiency of the vaccination, we followed-up antibody responses in patients with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza and persons who received the pandemic H1N1 vaccine in Guangzhou China. METHODS: We collected serum samples from 129 patients and 86 vaccinated persons at day 0, 15, 30, 180 after the disease onset or the vaccination, respectively. Antibody titers in these serum samples were determined by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay using a local isolated virus strain A/Guangdong Liwan/SWL1538/2009(H1N1). RESULTS: HI antibody positive rate of the patients increased significantly from 0% to 60% at day 15 (χ(2) = 78, P<0.001) and 100% at day 30 (χ(2) = 23, P<0.001), but decreased significantly to 52% at day 180 (χ(2) = 38, P<0.001), while that of vaccinated subjects increased from 0% to 78% at day 15 (χ(2) = 110, P<0.001) and 81% at day 30 (χ(2) = 0.32, P = 0.57), but decreased significantly to 34% at day 180 (χ(2) = 39, P<0.001). Geometric mean titers (GMT) of HI antibodies in positive samples from the patients did not change significantly between day 15 and day 30 (T = 0.92, P = 0.36), but it decreased significantly from 80 at day 30 to 52 at day 180 (T = 4.5, P<0.001). GMT of vaccinated persons increased significantly from 100 at day 15 to 193 at day 30 (T = 4.5, P<0.001), but deceased significantly to 74 at day 180 (T = 5.1, P<0.001). Compared to the patients, the vaccinated subjects showed lower seroconversion rate (χ(2) = 11, P<0.001; χ(2) = 5.9, P = 0.015), but higher GMT (T = 6.0, P<0.001; T = 3.6, P = 0.001) at day 30 and day 180, respectively. CONCLUSION: Vaccination of 2009 influenza A (H1N1) was effective. However, about half or more recovered patients and vaccinated persons might have lost sufficient immunity against the recurrence of the viral infection after half a year. Vaccination or re-vaccination may be necessary for prevention of the recurrence