Conquering corrosion

With Bob Herbert, President of NACE International

Pipeline corrosion is an ever-present threat for oil and gas companies who are adopting increasingly sophisticated methods to minimise its impact on their operations. Bob Herbert, President of NACE International – originally known as the National Association of Corrosion Engineers - outlines the challenges the facing the industry when it comes to tackling corrosion.

O&G. What are the main challenges that oil and gas companies face today in
terms of tackling corrosion in pipelines?
Bob Herbert. The number one concern is the aging infrastructure – many of our pipelines and related structures have met or are exceeding their original design lives. Replacing these assets is very expensive and disruptive, so the corrosion industry continues to work on more effective ways to inspect, rehabilitate, and maintain the infrastructure. Another challenge involves the expansion and encroachment of cities in areas where pipelines were once easily accessible. For example, a major pipeline buried in an open field may now be covered over with roads and buildings, challenging corrosion professionals to come up with more complicated and innovative ways to inspect and repair. In addition, corrosion control becomes even more of a priority when a pipeline’s proximity to civilisation increases and public safety is at stake.

O&G. How difficult is this issue when it comes to maintaining and replacing worn out parts in hostile environments?
BH. There are many environments that are considered hostile and conducive to corrosion for various reasons, including fog and humidity, air pollution, proximity to saltwater, and corrosive soils. It is critical that the corrosion professionals understand the specific conditions of the area in order to select the best materials and corrosion control methods, whether in the design phase or during maintenance. With the corrosion control methods we have today, which include cathodic and anodic protection, numerous coating and lining formulations and systems, chemical treatment, and materials selection and design, we can tailor a programme to best control corrosion in specific environments. It is not always easy, but it can be done.

O&G. How much would you say corrosion costs the oil and gas industry every year, worldwide?
BH. According to the 2002 study, “Corrosion Costs and Preventive Strategies in the United States,” pipeline corrosion costs approximately US$7 billion annually in this country alone. This figure does not include indirect costs such as downtime and lost productivity. If you look at the oil and gas industry as a whole – including production, processing, refining, etc. – the figure is closer to US$20 billion annually. The study found that direct corrosion costs overall for the United States are US$276 billion per year, or 3.1% of the Gross Domestic Product. We have since learned that this percentage can be extrapolated to the economies of other developed countries to determine just how pervasive and expensive the problem is worldwide.
 
O&G. What effect does this have on the companies’ projects and how could this
figure be reduced in your opinion?
BH. The cost of corrosion study determined that up to 30% of corrosion costs could be saved just by using currently available corrosion control technologies. The problem is convincing management that by incurring the costs of professionally planned and managed corrosion programs, such as using trained personnel, conducting regular inspections, and implementing the best control and repair methods, companies actually save significant money over the lifetime of the asset. Unfortunately in many instances it is a matter of “out of sight, out of mind,” until something goes wrong – and that can be not only expensive, but catastrophic.
 
O&G. How are technologies helping to tackle the problem, especially in the area
of pipelines?
BH. During the last 10 years or so, we have seen a big push in new research and development to address older systems as well as smaller-diameter pipelines. There have been improvements in coating formulations and systems for internal and external use, better inhibitors for protecting against such problems as microbiologically influenced corrosion and sulfate-reducing bacteria, and breakthroughs in materials, including plastics and other nonmetallic composites. In addition, there are a wide variety of very effective inspection and monitoring techniques available, including close interval surveys, direct current voltage gradient and alternating current voltage gradient surveys, alternating current attenuation surveys, soil resistivity surveys, ultrasonic testing, and smart pigging, all of which help provide an accurate indicator of a pipeline’s condition.

O&G. How do integrated risk assessment and integrity management programmess help?
BH. The emphasis on pipeline integrity has increased significantly in recent years, largely in response to several high profile, catastrophic failures that were caused by corrosion. Stricter regulations, liability and safety issues, and increased emphasis on protecting the environment are bringing corrosion control considerations to the forefront of pipeline protection programs. The continuing development of pipeline integrity technology brings regular improvement to pipeline integrity and safety. The accuracy with which the inspections can pinpoint areas of concern even in apparently good pipes continues to improve as well. This has enhanced safety since now problem areas can be accurately located and remedial action taken as required. In my opinion, one of our biggest opportunities is to optimise the use of existing tools and technologies through the use of risk and decision analysis principles.

O&G. What is your organisation doing to help oil and gas companies tackle thechallenges posed by pipe corrosion?
BH. NACE was founded by 11 pipeline corrosion experts back in 1943, and although the association has since branched out to cover all areas of the corrosion industry, pipeline corrosion remains at our core. I believe our most significant contribution to this industry, and the corrosion industry as a whole, is our corrosion education, training, and certification programmes. There has been unprecedented growth in these programmes over the last several years, especially internationally, as countries and governments everywhere recognize the importance and value of a trained corrosion workforce. NACE offers numerous pipeline-related courses, including four levels of cathodic protection training, a course on using coatings with cathodic protection, the world-renowned Coating Inspector Program, assessment training, operator qualification, and many others.

NACE is also the leading standards organisation for corrosion control, offering more than 200 standards developed by industry experts, approximately half of which relate to the oil and gas industry. NACE holds corrosion conferences and seminars worldwide, publishes and disseminates journals, books, and reports; has a strong public affairs presence; and offers many other corrosion resources from our website

O&G. In your opinion are oil and gas companies in the Middle East inparticular, doing enough to tackle these challenges?
BH. As with other areas of the world, I am pleased to see the progress being made in the Middle East regarding corrosion awareness, increased training, more implementation of the latest corrosion control technologies, and a growing membership in NACE. NACE exceeded 20,000 members for the first time in its history this year, with most of the growth occurring outside of the United States and Canada. Although the prominent types of industries, environments, and regulatory requirements may differ from country to country and even city to city, one thing is clear – we all recognise that controlling corrosion will reduce costs in any economy while protecting public safety and the world around us.