MARTENSITIC STAINLESS STEEL SEAMLESS PIPE FOR OIL COUNTRY TUBULAR GOODS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

Abstract

A martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods having a yield stress of 758 MPa or more, and excellent sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance, and a method for manufacturing the same. The martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe has a composition that contains, by mass %, C: 0.010% or more, Si: 0.5% or less, Mn: 0.05 to 0.50%, P: 0.030% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Ni: 4.6 to 8.0%, Cr: 10.0 to 14.0%, Mo: 1.0 to 2.7%, Al: 0.1% or less, V: 0.005 to 0.2%, N: 0.1% or less, Ti: 0.255 to 0.500%, Cu: 0.01 to 1.0%, Co: 0.01 to 1.0%, and the balance being Fe and incidental impurities. C, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mo, W, Nb, N, and Ti satisfy a predetermined relationship.

Claims

1. A martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods having a chemical composition comprising, by mass %: C: 0.010% or more; Si: 0.5% or less; Mn: 0.05 to 0.50%; P: 0.030% or less; S: 0.005% or less; Ni: 4.6 to 8.0%; Cr: 10.0 to 14.0%; Mo: 1.0 to 2.7%; Al: 0.1% or less; V: 0.005 to 0.2%; N: 0.1% or less; Ti: 0.255 to 0.500%; Cu: 0.01 to 1.0%; Co: 0.01 to 1.0%; and the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, wherein the chemical composition satisfies the following formula (1):
35109.37C+7.307Mn+6.399Cr+6.329Cu+11.343Ni13.529Mo+1.276W+2.925Nb+196.775N2.621Ti120.30745(1) where C, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mo, W, Nb, N, and Ti represent the content of each element by mass %, and the content is 0% for elements that are not contained, and the martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe has a yield stress of 758 MPa or more.

2. The martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods according to claim 1, wherein the chemical composition further comprises, by mass %, at least one selected from the group consisting of Nb: 0.1% or less, and W: 1.0% or less.

3. The martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods according to claim 1, wherein the chemical composition further comprises, by mass %, at least one selected from the group consisting of Ca: 0.010% or less, REM: 0.010% or less, Mg: 0.010% or less, and B: 0.010% or less.

4. A method for manufacturing a martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods, the method comprising: forming a steel pipe from a steel pipe material having the chemical composition according to claim 1; quenching the steel pipe by heating the steel pipe to a temperature equal to or greater than an Ac.sub.3 transformation point, and cooling the steel pipe to a cooling stop temperature of 100 C. or less; and tempering the steel pipe at a temperature equal to or less than an Ac.sub.1 transformation point.

5. The martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods according to claim 2, wherein the chemical composition further comprises, by mass %, at least one selected from the group consisting of Ca: 0.010% or less, REM: 0.010% or less, Mg: 0.010% or less, and B: 0.010% or less.

6. A method for manufacturing a martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods, the method comprising: forming a steel pipe from a steel pipe material having the chemical composition according to claim 2; quenching the steel pipe by heating the steel pipe to a temperature equal to or greater than an Ac.sub.3 transformation point, and cooling the steel pipe to a cooling stop temperature of 100 C. or less; and tempering the steel pipe at a temperature equal to or less than an Ac.sub.1 transformation point.

7. A method for manufacturing a martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods, the method comprising: forming a steel pipe from a steel pipe material having the chemical composition according to claim 3; quenching the steel pipe by heating the steel pipe to a temperature equal to or greater than an Ac.sub.3 transformation point, and cooling the steel pipe to a cooling stop temperature of 100 C. or less; and tempering the steel pipe at a temperature equal to or less than an Ac.sub.1 transformation point.

8. A method for manufacturing a martensitic stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods, the method comprising: forming a steel pipe from a steel pipe material having the chemical composition according to claim 5; quenching the steel pipe by heating the steel pipe to a temperature equal to or greater than an Ac.sub.3 transformation point, and cooling the steel pipe to a cooling stop temperature of 100 C. or less; and tempering the steel pipe at a temperature equal to or less than an Ac.sub.1 transformation point.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following describes the reasons for specifying the composition of a steel pipe of the disclosed embodiments. In the following, % means percent by mass, unless otherwise specifically stated.

C: 0.010% or More

[0030] C has the effect to provide an effective amount of Cr, and ensure corrosion resistance. To this end, the C content is limited to 0.010% or more. However, when C is contained in excess amounts, the hardness increases, and the steel becomes more susceptible to sulfide stress corrosion cracking. For this reason, C is contained in an amount of desirably 0.040% or less. That is, the preferred carbon content is 0.010 to 0.040%.

Si: 0.5% or Less

[0031] Si acts as a deoxidizing agent, and is contained in an amount of desirably 0.05% or more. A Si content of more than 0.5% impairs carbon dioxide corrosion resistance and hot workability. For this reason, the Si content is limited to 0.5% or less. From the viewpoint of stably providing strength, the Si content is preferably 0.10% or more, and is preferably 0.30% or less.

Mn: 0.05 to 0.50%

[0032] Mn is an element that improves hot workability and strength, and is contained in an amount of 0.05% or more to provide the necessary strength. When added in excess amounts, however, Mn precipitates into MnS, and impairs the sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance. For this reason, the Mn content is limited to 0.05 to 0.50%. Preferably, the Mn content is 0.40% or less. Preferably, the Mn content is 0.10% or more.

P: 0.030% or Less

[0033] P is an element that impairs carbon dioxide corrosion resistance, pitting corrosion resistance, and sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance, and should desirably be contained in as small an amount as possible in the disclosed embodiments. However, an excessively small P content increases the manufacturing cost. For this reason, the P content is limited to 0.030% or less, which is a content range that does not cause a severe impairment of characteristics, and that is economically practical in industrial applications. Preferably, the P content is 0.015% or less.

S: 0.005% or Less

[0034] S is an element that seriously impairs hot workability, and should desirably be contained in as small an amount as possible. A reduced S content of 0.005% or less enables pipe production using an ordinary process, and the S content is limited to 0.005% or less in the disclosed embodiments. Preferably, the S content is 0.002% or less.

Ni: 4.6 to 8.0%

[0035] Ni strengthens the protective coating, and improves the corrosion resistance. Ni also increases steel strength by forming a solid solution. Ni needs to be contained in an amount of 4.6% or more to obtain these effects. With a Ni content of more than 8.0%, the martensitic phase becomes less stable, and the strength decreases. For this reason, the Ni content is limited to 4.6 to 8.0%. The Ni content is preferably 5.0% or more, and is preferably 7.5% or less.

Cr: 10.0 to 14.0%

[0036] Cr is an element that forms a protective coating, and improves the corrosion resistance. The required corrosion resistance for oil country tubular goods can be provided when Cr is contained in an amount of 10.0% or more. A Cr content of more than 14.0% facilitates ferrite generation, and a stable martensitic phase cannot be provided. For this reason, the Cr content is limited to 10.0 to 14.0%. The Cr content is preferably 11.0% or more, and is preferably 13.5% or less.

Mo: 1.0 to 2.7%

[0037] Mo is an element that improves the resistance against pitting corrosion by Cl.sup.. Mo needs to be contained in an amount of 1.0% or more to obtain the corrosion resistance necessary for a severe corrosive environment. When Mo is contained in excess amounts, the effect becomes saturated. Mo is also an expensive element, and a Mo content of more than 2.7% increases the manufacturing cost. For this reason, the Mo content is limited to 1.0 to 2.7%. The Mo content is preferably 1.5% or more, and is preferably 2.5% or less.

Al: 0.1% or Less

[0038] Al acts as a deoxidizing agent, and an Al content of 0.01% or more is effective for obtaining this effect. However, Al has an adverse effect on toughness when contained in an amount of more than 0.1%. For this reason, the Al content is limited to 0.1% or less in the disclosed embodiments. The Al content is preferably 0.01% or more, and is preferably 0.03% or less.

V: 0.005 to 0.2%

[0039] V needs to be contained in an amount of 0.005% or more to improve steel strength through precipitation hardening, and to improve sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance. Because a V content of more than 0.2% impairs toughness, the V content is limited to 0.005 to 0.2% in the disclosed embodiments. The V content is preferably 0.01% or more, and is preferably 0.1% or less.

N: 0.1% or Less

[0040] N is an element that acts to increase strength by forming a solid solution in the steel, in addition to improving pitting corrosion resistance. However, N forms various nitride inclusions, and impairs pitting corrosion resistance when contained in an amount of more than 0.1%. For this reason, the N content is limited to 0.1% or less in the disclosed embodiments. Preferably, the N content is 0.010% or less.

Ti: 0.255 to 0.500%

[0041] When contained in an amount of 0.255% or more, Ti forms carbides, and can reduce hardness by reducing solid-solution carbon. Because the steel becomes less susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement with reduced hardness, the sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance improves when Ti is contained in an amount of 0.255% or more. When contained in an amount of more than 0.500%, Ti promotes generation of coarse TiN, and the toughness decreases because of the notch effect. Further, pitting corrosion occurs as the TiN becomes an initiation point, and the sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance decreases. For this reason, Ti is limited to 0.255 to 0.500%. The Ti content is preferably 0.300% or more, and is preferably 0.450% or less.

Cu: 0.01 to 1.0%

[0042] Cu is contained in an amount of 0.01% or more to strengthen the protective coating, and improve sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance. However, when contained in an amount of more than 1.0%, Cu precipitates into CuS, and impairs hot workability. For this reason, the Cu content is limited to 0.01 to 1.0%. The Cu content is preferably 0.03% or more, and is preferably 0.6% or less.

Co: 0.01 to 1.0%

[0043] Co is an element that improves the pitting corrosion resistance, in addition to reducing hardness by raising the Ms point and promoting transformation. Co needs to be contained in an amount of 0.01% or more to obtain these effects. However, an excessively high Co content may impair toughness, and increases the material cost. Such high Co contents also impair the sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance. For this reason, the Co content is limited to 0.01 to 1.0% in the disclosed embodiments. The Co content is more preferably 0.03% or more, and is preferably 0.6% or less.

[0044] In the disclosed embodiments, C, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mo, N, and Ti, and, optionally, Nb and W, are contained so as to satisfy the following formula (1). Formula (1) correlates these elements with an amount of retained . By satisfying formula (1), the retained austenite occurs in smaller amounts, and the hardness decreases, with the result that the sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance improves. Formula (1) is preferably 20.0 or more, and is preferably 25.0 or less.

35109.37C+7.307Mn+6.399Cr+6.329Cu+11.343Ni13.529Mo+1.276W+2.925Nb+196.775N2.621Ti120.30745Formula (1)

[0045] In the formula, C, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mo, W, Nb, N, and Ti represent the content of each element in mass %, and the content is 0 (zero) percent for elements that are not contained.

[0046] These are the basic components. In addition to these basic components, the composition may further contain at least one optional element selected from Nb: 0.1% or less, and W: 1.0% or less, as needed.

[0047] Nb forms carbides, and can reduce hardness by reducing solid-solution carbon. However, Nb may impair toughness when contained in excessively large amounts. W is an element that improves the pitting corrosion resistance. However, W may impair toughness, and increases the material cost when contained in excessively large amounts. For this reason, Nb, when contained, is contained in a limited amount of 0.1% or less, and W, when contained, is contained in a limited amount of 1.0% or less. Preferably, the Nb content is 0.02% or more, and the W content is 0.1% or more.

[0048] One or more selected from Ca: 0.010% or less, REM: 0.010% or less, Mg: 0.010% or less, and B: 0.010% or less may be contained as optional elements, as needed.

[0049] Ca, REM, Mg, and B are elements that improve the corrosion resistance by controlling the form of inclusions. The desired contents for providing this effect are Ca: 0.0005% or more, REM: 0.0005% or more, Mg: 0.0005% or more, and B: 0.0005% or more. Ca, REM, Mg, and B impair toughness and carbon dioxide corrosion resistance when contained in amounts of more than Ca: 0.010%, REM: 0.010%, Mg: 0.010%, and B: 0.010%. For this reason, the contents of Ca, REM, Mg, and B, when contained, are limited to Ca: 0.010% or less, REM: 0.010% or less, Mg: 0.010% or less, and B: 0.010% or less.

[0050] The balance is Fe and incidental impurities in the composition.

[0051] A steel pipe of the disclosed embodiments has a microstructure in which the dominant phase is the tempered martensitic phase, and that contains 30% or less of retained austenite phase, and 5% or less of ferrite phase, by volume. As used herein, dominant phase is the phase that accounts for 70% or more by volume.

[0052] The following describes a preferred method for manufacturing a stainless steel seamless pipe for oil country tubular goods of the disclosed embodiments.

[0053] In the disclosed embodiments, a steel pipe material of the foregoing composition is used. However, the method of production of a stainless steel seamless pipe used as a steel pipe material is not particularly limited, and any known seamless pipe manufacturing method may be used.

[0054] Preferably, a molten steel of the foregoing composition is made into steel using an ordinary steel making process such as by using a converter, and formed into a steel pipe material, for example, a billet, using a method such as continuous casting, or ingot casting-blooming. The steel pipe material is then heated, and hot worked into a pipe using a known pipe manufacturing process, for example, the Mannesmann-plug mill process or the Mannesmann-mandrel mill process to produce a seamless steel pipe of the foregoing composition.

[0055] The process after the production of the steel pipe from the steel pipe material is not particularly limited. Preferably, the steel pipe is subjected to quenching in which the steel pipe is heated to a temperature equal to or greater than the Ac.sub.3 transformation point, and cooled to a cooling stop temperature of 100 C. or less, followed by tempering at a temperature equal to or less than the Ac.sub.1 transformation point.

Quenching

[0056] In the disclosed embodiments, the steel pipe is subjected to quenching in which the steel pipe is reheated to a temperature equal to or greater than the Ac.sub.3 transformation point, held for preferably at least 5 min, and cooled to a cooling stop temperature of 100 C. or less. This makes it possible to produce a refined, tough martensitic phase. When the heating temperature of quenching is less than the Ac.sub.3 transformation point, it is not possible to heat the steel in the austenite single-phase region, and a sufficient martensitic microstructure does not occur in the subsequent cooling, with the result that the desired high strength cannot be obtained. For this reason, the quenching heating temperature is limited to a temperature equal to or greater than the Ac.sub.3 transformation point. The cooling method is not particularly limited. Typically, the steel pipe is air cooled (at a cooling rate of 0.05 C./s or more and 20 C./s or less) or water cooled (at a cooling rate of 5 C./s or more and 100 C./s or less). The cooling rate conditions are not limited either.

Tempering

[0057] The quenched steel pipe is tempered. The tempering is a process in which the steel pipe is heated to a temperature equal to or less than the Ac.sub.1 transformation point, held for preferably at least 10 min, and air cooled. The austenite phase occurs when the tempering temperature is higher than the Ac.sub.1 transformation point. In this case, it is not possible to provide the desired high strength, high toughness, and desirable corrosion resistance. For this reason, the tempering temperature is limited to a temperature equal to or less than the Ac.sub.1 transformation point. Preferably, the tempering temperature is 565 to 600 C. The Ac.sub.3 transformation point ( C.) and Ac.sub.1 transformation point ( C.) can be measured by a Formaster test by giving a heating and cooling temperature history to a test piece, and finding the transformation point from a microdisplacement due to expansion and contraction.

Examples

[0058] The disclosed embodiments are further described below through the Examples.

[0059] Molten steels containing the components shown in Table 1 were made into steel with a converter, and cast into billets (steel pipe material) by continuous casting. The billet was hot worked into a pipe with a model seamless rolling mill, and cooled by air cooling or water cooling to produce a seamless steel pipe measuring 83.8 mm in outer diameter and 12.7 mm in wall thickness.

[0060] Each seamless steel pipe was cut to obtain a test material, which was then subjected to quenching and tempering under the conditions shown in Table 2. A test piece for microstructure observation was taken from the quenched and tempered test material. After polishing, the amount of retained austenite () was measured by X-ray diffractometry.

[0061] Specifically, the amount of retained austenite was found by measuring the diffraction X-ray integral intensities of the (220) plane, and the (211) plane of the ferrite (). The results were then converted using the following equation.

(volume fraction)=100/(1+(1.sub.R.sub./I.sub.R.sub.))

[0062] In the equation, I.sub. represents the integral intensity of , R.sub. represents a crystallographic theoretical calculation value for , I.sub. represents the integral intensity of , and R.sub. represents a crystallographic theoretical calculation value for . For the measurement, Mo-K radiation was used under the acceleration voltage of 50 kV.

[0063] An arc-shaped tensile test specimen specified by API standard was taken from the quenched and tempered test material, and the tensile properties (yield stress YS, tensile strength TS) were determined in a tensile test conducted according to the API-5CT specification. For the measurement of the Ac.sub.3 and Ac.sub.1 points ( C.) in Table 2, a test piece (4-mm diameter10 mm) was taken from the quenched test material, and was measured in a Formaster test. Specifically, the test piece was heated to 500 C. at 5 C./s, and further heated to 920 C. at 0.25 C./s. The steel was then held for 10 minutes, and cooled to room temperature at 2 C./s. The Ac.sub.3 and Ac.sub.1 transformation points ( C.) were determined by detecting the expansion and contraction occurring in the test piece with this temperature history.

[0064] The SSC test was conducted according to NACE TM0177, Method A. The test environment was created by adjusting the pH of a test solution (a 20 weight % NaCl aqueous solution; liquid temperature: 25 C.; H.sub.2S: 0.1 bar; CO.sub.2 bal.) to 4.0 with addition of 0.82 g/L of sodium acetate and acetic acid. In the test, a stress 90% of the yield stress was applied for 720 hours in the solution. Samples were determined as being acceptable when there was no crack in the test piece after the test, and unacceptable when the test piece had a crack after the test.

[0065] The results are presented in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Steel Composition (mass %) No. C Si Mn P S Ni Cr Mo Al V N A 0.0108 0.18 0.40 0.014 0.001 5.64 12.2 1.97 0.042 0.017 0.0068 B 0.0117 0.19 0.23 0.015 0.001 5.52 11.8 1.84 0.038 0.044 0.0046 C 0.0102 0.20 0.35 0.015 0.001 5.94 12.1 2.03 0.040 0.040 0.0072 D 0.0123 0.19 0.28 0.014 0.001 5.61 11.9 1.95 0.039 0.045 0.0055 E 0.0136 0.21 0.16 0.015 0.001 4.62 12.3 1.86 0.037 0.019 0.0084 F 0.0102 0.17 0.25 0.015 0.001 6.35 11.8 2.68 0.040 0.027 0.0134 G 0.0138 0.20 0.15 0.015 0.001 7.42 13.2 2.37 0.038 0.038 0.0050 H 0.0113 0.19 0.32 0.014 0.001 6.29 12.2 2.06 0.039 0.038 0.0064 I 0.0128 0.20 0.07 0.015 0.001 5.08 11.8 1.66 0.041 0.013 0.0071 J 0.0104 0.19 0.48 0.014 0.001 6.84 12.7 2.31 0.045 0.048 0.0088 K 0.0110 0.20 0.45 0.015 0.001 7.35 13.8 1.20 0.038 0.023 0.0052 L 0.0115 0.19 0.15 0.013 0.001 4.70 11.0 2.65 0.024 0.042 0.0054 M 0.0094 0.19 0.35 0.015 0.001 5.23 11.8 1.76 0.040 0.018 0.0107 N 0.0105 0.17 0.51 0.015 0.001 6.73 13.3 2.55 0.041 0.024 0.0135 O 0.0127 0.18 0.19 0.014 0.001 4.52 12.9 1.32 0.039 0.035 0.0760 P 0.0123 0.20 0.09 0.015 0.001 5.71 13.3 2.04 0.042 0.023 0.0104 Q 0.0136 0.19 0.42 0.014 0.001 6.08 12.8 1.82 0.041 0.033 0.0096 R 0.0114 0.18 0.26 0.015 0.001 5.87 11.8 1.91 0.038 0.025 0.0101 S 0.0102 0.21 0.34 0.015 0.001 6.16 12.4 2.47 0.039 0.015 0.0141 T 0.0103 0.20 0.48 0.015 0.001 7.52 13.6 1.24 0.040 0.023 0.0105 U 0.0125 0.19 0.12 0.015 0.001 4.73 10.3 2.64 0.040 0.042 0.0074 Composition (mass %) Value of Steel Ca, REM, formula No. Ti Cu Co Nb, W Mg, B (1) (*1) Remarks A 0.311 0.03 0.06 2.5 Example B 0.278 0.21 0.22 5.2 Example C 0.308 0.36 0.33 1.4 Example D 0.416 0.12 0.13 Nb: 0.04 5.3 Example E 0.366 0.29 0.28 W: 0.31 11.8 Example F 0.401 0.53 0.07 Ca: 0.003 3.4 Example G 0.322 0.44 0.46 Ca: 0.002, 18.8 Example REM: 0.002 H 0.261 0.30 0.32 Mg: 0.003 4.8 Example I 0.343 0.39 0.40 B: 0.002 7.6 Example J 0.288 0.21 0.21 Nb: 0.02 Ca: 0.002 12.0 Example K 0.340 0.85 0.50 Nb: 0.05, 43.5 Example W: 0.50 L 0.300 0.05 0.04 32.0 Example M 0.481 0.29 0.32 5.1 Comparative Example N 0.340 0.40 0.21 13.5 Comparative Example O 0.277 0.56 0.48 13.4 Comparative Example P 0.250 0.35 0.38 4.9 Comparative Example Q 0.507 0.43 0.42 10.8 Comparative Example R 0.445 1.07 0.53 Nb: 0.04 4.3 Comparative Example S 0.311 0.59 1.09 2.6 Comparative Example T 0.258 0.98 0.51 Nb: 0.04, 46.5 Comparative W: 0.90 Example U 0.486 0.03 0.04 36.6 Comparative Example * Underline means outside the range of the disclosed embodiments The balance is Fe and incidental impurities (*1) Formula (1): 109.37C + 7.307Mn + 6.399Cr + 6.329Cu + 11.343Ni 13.529Mo + 1.276W + 2.925Nb + 196.775N 2.621Ti 120.307

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Quenching Tempering Ac.sub.3 Heating Holding Cooling stop Ac.sub.1 Heating Steel Steel point temperature time temperature point temperature pipe No. No. ( C.) ( C.) (min) Cooling method ( C.) ( C.) ( C.) 1 A 755 900 20 Water cooling 25 635 580 2 B 755 920 20 Air cooling 25 640 590 3 C 755 850 20 Air cooling 25 645 585 4 D 755 810 20 Air cooling 25 630 570 5 E 760 920 20 Water cooling 25 655 595 6 F 755 900 20 Air cooling 25 640 600 7 G 755 920 20 Air cooling 25 650 595 8 H 755 920 20 Air cooling 25 645 590 9 I 755 900 20 Water cooling 25 640 575 10 J 755 810 20 Water cooling 25 640 600 11 K 760 920 20 Air cooling 25 645 595 12 L 755 920 20 Air cooling 25 630 595 13 A 755 720 20 Air cooling 25 635 585 14 B 755 920 20 Water cooling 25 640 665 15 M 755 900 20 Water cooling 25 645 600 16 N 760 920 20 Air cooling 25 650 595 17 O 760 850 20 Air cooling 25 650 585 19 P 760 920 20 Water cooling 25 645 575 20 Q 755 810 20 Water cooling 25 635 565 21 R 755 810 20 Air cooling 25 640 600 22 S 755 920 20 Water cooling 25 645 590 23 T 755 900 20 Air cooling 25 645 580 24 U 760 850 20 Water cooling 25 655 570 SSC Tensile properties resistance Tempering Microstructure Yield Tensile test Holding Retained stress strength Presence or Steel time (*1) YS TS absence of pipe No. (min) (volume %) (MPa) (MPa) cracking Remarks 1 60 3.1 825 874 Absent Example 2 60 0.5 818 868 Absent Example 3 60 6.1 846 887 Absent Example 4 60 0.2 822 863 Absent Example 5 60 0.0 800 847 Absent Example 6 60 2.7 796 845 Absent Example 7 60 24.8 865 914 Absent Example 8 60 11.6 855 898 Absent Example 9 60 0.0 788 839 Absent Example 10 60 18.1 854 907 Absent Example 11 60 26.5 786 828 Absent Example 12 60 0.0 824 881 Absent Example 13 60 13.1 689 764 Absent Comparative Example 14 60 18.4 695 775 Absent Comparative Example 15 60 1.5 768 816 Present Comparative Example 16 60 19.7 826 881 Present Comparative Example 17 60 18.2 789 828 Present Comparative Example 19 60 9.6 798 846 Present Comparative Example 20 60 15.1 845 896 Present Comparative Example 21 60 12.1 809 871 Present Comparative Example 22 60 8.9 852 913 Present Comparative Example 23 60 46.1 858 967 Present Comparative Example 24 60 0.0 805 892 Present Comparative Example (*1) Retained : Retained austenite * Underline means outside the range of the disclosed embodiments

[0066] The steel pipes of the Examples all had high strength with a yield stress of 758 MPa or more, demonstrating that the steel pipes were martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes having excellent SSC resistance that do not crack even when placed under a stress in a H.sub.2S-containing environment. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples outside the range of the disclosed embodiments, the steel pipes did not have the desired high strength or desirable SSC resistance.