Use of slotted liner as a sand control device is widespread in SAGD operations in Western Canada. Operating temperatures in such thermal EOR wells can be extreme, sometimes exceeding 270 degrees C (518 degrees F), and the associated compressive axial mechanical strain imposed by constrained thermal expansion can load the pipe material beyond its proportional limit. Selection of an appropriate slotted liner configuration is critical to ensure that structural stability (and hence sand control) is reliably maintained during operation. Mechanical properties of the tubular material at elevated temperature strongly influence the compressive stability of the liner structure, but lower-temperature properties also affect the ease of pipe slotting on a production scale, which is typically achieved by plunging thin saw blades through the pipe wall. Common slotting issues include breakage or unacceptably high blade wear rates. This paper describes the developmental basis for a new tubular material formulation that is specifically optimized for thermal structural stability in SAGD applications without compromising slotting performance. Elevated-temperature mechanical properties are designed to prevent compressive buckling failures and to minimize strain localization potential. Results of analytical and experimental work (including stability analysis of the liner structure, thermo-mechanical material testing, and bench-scale slotting trials) are described.