COMPANY NEWS
IMI and TotalEnergies validate 3D-printed valve components for sour-gas applications
Written By IMI Publications
October 26, 2026
IMI and TotalEnergies have jointly qualified and deployed additively manufactured valve components for use in a sour-gas environment, marking a step forward in the use of 3D-printed components for oil and gas applications.
Working with TotalEnergies EP Denmark, IMI qualified 3D-printed nickel-based alloy trim components for use in anti-surge valves operating in hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) conditions, supported by the development of a bespoke heat treatment process for sour-service applications.
The challenge stemmed from valve passing issues within anti-surge systems operating under demanding service conditions. With H₂S partial pressures reaching up to 3.3 kPa, any replacement solution needed to demonstrate high levels of corrosion resistance, reliability and mechanical performance before it could be approved for use.
Even though nickel-based alloys are commonly used throughout the oil and gas sectors, there is limited industry experience of additively manufactured versions operating in sour-service applications. As a result, qualification was a crucial part of the project.
IMI's engineering team worked with TotalEnergies to develop and validate a 3D-printed solution using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology, involving extensive mechanical and corrosion testing, alongside a proprietary heat treatment process to optimise material performance.
Testing showed equivalent performance to conventionally manufactured nickel-based alloy components while meeting the requirements of DNV-ST-B203 AMC Level 3 qualification.
Additively manufactured metallic test specimens on a build plate.
As a result, TotalEnergies approved the installation of seven anti-surge valves fitted with IMI's additively manufactured nickel-based alloy disk stacks.
Bertrand Maillon, Retrofit3D leader at IMI, said: "The challenge here was to avoid simply producing an additively manufactured component. Rather, we wanted to demonstrate that it could perform reliably in a demanding sour-gas environment where corrosion resistance and long-term integrity are critical.
“Working closely with TotalEnergies, we developed a comprehensive qualification programme and a bespoke heat treatment process to validate the performance of the material.
"Successfully achieving qualification and seeing the first valves enter service represents an important milestone for both of our organisations and reflects what can be achieved through close engineering collaboration.”
Bertrand Levaché, Head of Additive Manufacturing at TotalEnergies, said: “What started as a collaborative effort to tackle valve reliability challenges in a demanding H₂S environment evolved into an actual demonstration of how innovation can flourish through partnership.
"IMI’s proactive approach to applying additive manufacturing were instrumental in delivering results that fully meet our expectations.”
More information on IMI's Retrofit3D solutions.
