Sand is an inevitable by-product during oil and gas production, and it can significantly impact both production and assets.

DNV has performed erosion testing at its Høvik laboratory since 1995. Experience from experimental investigation and dedicated erosion testing form the basis of the DNV recommended practice DNV-RP-O501 Managing sand production and erosion. Laboratory testing is supported by advanced computer models such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and multi-disciplinary advisory teams. 

The standard test for determining the erosion resistance of a material is to expose a material test sample to a given amount and size of particles at different impact velocities and angles (ASTM G76-13). The sand blasting rig in the DNV laboratory is capable of determining the material erosion resistance in a similar way as ASTM G76-13. Testing can be performed with particle velocities up to 150 m/s. Small amounts of water may be added to investigate the effect of liquid dampening on the erosion resistance. Previous materials investigated include steel grades, plastics, ceramics and erosion resistant surface coatings.