The university said in an announcement that the new grade, dubbed Severkor, is designed to better withstand the harsh environment of oil and gas fields, reduce environmental hazards, and lower operating costs. Development of the grade began in 2016 in partnership with Russian steelmaker Severstal.
 
In the fall of 2019, a test pipe made from the material finished up its yearlong trial at an oil and gas field in Perm Krai, Russia. The result was striking, researchers said. 

“After a year of work in the oil field, the pipe remained virtually new. The new technology for the production of the rolled metal for the manufacture of longitudinal oilfield pipes ensured their real increased corrosion resistance,” said NUST MISIS research fellow Alexander Komissarov. 

Komissarov said the new grade is based on new alloying schemes (adding dopants to the composition of materials to improve the properties of the base material), which provide the necessary structural and phase composition of steel in the production of rolled and flat products. 

Researchers are seeking a patent for the new steel grade.