Management of Corrosion Risks & Mitigation

Corrosion management is a vital focus of the oil and gas industry as it pertains to safeguarding valuable assets and securing the proper processing and transportation of the nation’s natural resources. Corrosion at any point along these pipelines can create a chemical chain reaction, putting pipelines at risk of leaks or failure.

This course focuses on the impacts of corrosion and materials selection as well as the potential problems caused. It also provides a review of the causes of corrosion, degradation of materials and the methods for identification, monitoring and control. An understanding of materials failures and its control is vital for any company seeking to avoid hazards and the high costs.

CORROSION MONITORING

• Material Replacement (use corrosion resistant material)
• Process change (reduce pressure / velocity / remove water, CO2…)
• Barrier Coatings (isolate the corrosive environment from the material)
• Chemical Treatment (use cheaper material with inhibitor / biocides / scavenger)
• Cathodic Protection (control the corrosion reaction…)

REVIEW OF CORROSION FORMS

Identify various forms of corrosion damage, appreciate their causes:

• Engineering failures -> when equipment, items or components do not perform to specification.
• Failure Modes -> the combination of damage and loads on structures
• General Corrosion / Localized Corrosion (Pitting) / Galvanic attack
• Crevice corrosion / Cavitation damage / Erosion corrosion
• Stress corrosion cracking / Hydrogen damage
• Corrosion fatigue
• Inspection & monitoring typically used to identify the damage

MITIGATION OF CORROSION RISKS

Reasons for Corrosion Inspection and Monitoring

• Obtain information to enable a corrosion audit to be carried out on the state of operational equipment
• Obtain information on the interrelation between corrosion rates and process or operating variables
• Obtain information on the corrosion mechanisms or kinetics of degradation
• Assess material or inhibitor reactions
• Check on the status of cathodic protection, condition of coatings or other corrosion control measures