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In March 2025, Westcon Subsea was awarded a contract for the assembly, welding, and testing of a rigid spool manufactured from 13Cr 2.5Mo martensitic stainless steel — a material grade that demands meticulous control and specialized fabrication methods. Due to its properties, the material requires carefully executed Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT).
As part of the project, Westcon, together with the customer and client, developed a dedicated PWHT procedure using the Miller Proheat 35 system. This solution uses flexible, liquid‑cooled induction cables as the heat source, offering a highly adaptable alternative to traditional stationary or rigid coils.
To complete the PWHT process, Westcon also engineered a customized solution for water quenching of the welds immediately after heat treatment, securing material integrity and performance.
In parallel, Westcon has successfully qualified welding procedures for this demanding material. Test welds were sent to Element’s materials laboratory in Italy for sour‑service testing. The samples were exposed to low‑pH environments under stress to evaluate resistance to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) and Stress Sulphide Cracking (SSC).
All samples passed with excellent results and showed no signs of cracking.
This achievement highlights Westcon Subsea’s ability to handle complex metallurgy, advanced welding processes, and stringent qualification requirements — delivering solutions tailored for the most demanding subsea environments.
