The Fundamentals of Asset Integrity Management

Online Training Series Course Summary

COURSE C: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CORROSION MANAGEMENT

Module 6: The economics of corrosion control

Why does corrosion occur?

Metals contain energy and that energy is trapped in the form of electrons. The reason that metals are shiny and
silvery is because they have an ocean of electrons floating around on the surface. It is also the reason that metals
conduct electricity so well.
Anything thats got a lot of energy likes to get rid of that energy.
When it finds something that will take those electrons from it they will give them up, losing the energy as it does so
and coming to a more stable condition. However the stable condition for metals is as an atom thats lost electrons.
When a metal loses electrons it becomes a positively charged material an ion that dissolves in water. Metal ions
that dissolve in water lose their engineering strength.
Different environments have different abilities to accept those electrons. It is often the different environments that
determine how fast the metal corrodes.

What are the most common environments in which corrosion can occur?

These are the environments where electrons are consumed:

o Acids
o Aerated water
o Microbes
o Hydrogen sulfide
Wherever electrons are consumed e.g. acids, aerated water the amount of corrosion will depend on the amount of
oxygen in the water, microbes, once they set up home they will stay there. As a byproduct they form all sorts of
different substances e.g. acids, which cause corrosion.
Hydrogen sufide cause corrosion in two different ways:
1. By increasing uniform corrosion. Because when Hydrogen sulphide reacts with iron it forms a very brittle
sulphide scale. That scale cracks off the metal easily exposing fresh metal underneath so you get a steady
corrosion rate.
2. Can produce atomic hydrogen and that is metallic hydrogen it dissolves straight into solid metal until it finds a
crack where it turns back into hydrogen gas. If the metal is below a hardness of 25 vicars the metal will buckle
and blister. If the metal is harder than that, it shatters.

How can corrosion be a problem where there is no water in the environment?

Because it doesnt take much water. It isnt the water that causes corrosion; the water supplies the electrolyte for
corrosion to happen in. Its the oxygen that will react with the metal. The water is only there to promote it.
Humidity is still water!

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The Fundamentals of Asset Integrity Management
Online Training Series Course Summary

The water can be hidden e.g. trapped within emulsions. Ostwald ripening if water droplets get big enough the will
drop out of suspension.

Why is corrosion linked to asset integrity?

Assets have limited life due to corrosion. It is usually not cost effective to stop corrosion completely. We tend to
reduce the rate of corrosion to an acceptable, low rate of corrosion.
There are so many assumptions that go into a design life but you dont know if its going to follow that. You have to
monitor to know if its living up to expectations.
It is not feasible to inspect all of our assets all of the time. We have to plan the amount of inspection to do.
The main reason why we have to worry about failure of materials is usually due to corrosion.
As structures age, asset integrity becomes a more complex question- more data is needed, but too much will cost
too much

Which is the most commonly used method of corrosion control?

Coatings e.g. paint. It is estimated that around 70% of corrosion control costs are down to the painted cycle. Cost of
surface preparation, applying the coatings, inspecting the application process, and then testing the resultant
coating. All of those things have to be done.
The other 30% is the cathodic protection or inhibitors. Cathodic protection only applies to buried structures.
The inside of pipelines is very rarely painted. The reason being that pipeline comes in 40 foot lengths. The welding
destroys any coating on the inside. If you dont coat the field joints theyll corrode at the normal rate, every 40ft. No
point in coating at all. A robot is being developed to paint inside of pipelines including painting the weld.

What is the biggest challenge in getting corrosion control right?

Knowing what is causing the corrosion!

Very few people know why theyve got corrosion issues because they dont do the failure analysis. So they dont
know the best remedial approach.
Not knowing the techniques that are available. What expertise have you got that you can rely on regionally?
Cost associated with it. If youre not careful you can spend vast amounts of money on it without necessarily getting
the control that is sensible.
Do comparative tests; find out which one e.g. coating is best for your environment. Design a test that matches your
conditions so that you get a solution that is as close to your scenario as possible.

What is the biggest inhibitor to companies applying the best practice that exists in the industry to control corrosion?

Knowledge, awareness and confidence. There are no corrosion engineers as an undergraduate degree so everyone
involved in corrosion learns on the job.
A lot of people rely very heavily on industry standards because theyre scared of getting things wrong even when
technology has moved on but they dont know about the changes/are not confident enough to use them.

THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS OF AN ONLINE TRAINING COURSE FOUND AT WWW.OILANDGASFUNDAMENTALS.COM.
IT IS FOR THE REVIEW OF COURSE PARTICIPANTS ONLY AND IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS APPLY
The Fundamentals of Asset Integrity Management
Online Training Series Course Summary

Prepare your own testing regime. Dont believe what the manufacturer tells you. Get a collaboration with a testing
laboratory, design some experiments that closely match your environment and conditions and invite people to put
their product into the system and see how well they perform. You dont have to se industry standards, industry
standard tests are theyre very vague design your own, its the proper way to do it.

Why is tackling corrosion such a problem if oil companies seem to make so much money?

An oil company is like any other company, it operates in order to make money, profit is the bottom line. Cutting
down on costs is an important part of operating and oil company.
Everything they do is big which means all of their costs are big.
Industry standard solutions are often used even if theyre old because people are scared of doing the wrong thing

How much do non-corrosion people need to know about corrosion in the oil and gas business?

Corrosion can be controlled

It is not inevitable.
We can do something about it.
We can extend asset lives if we want to.
A lot of technologies can be applied retrospectively.
Maintenance budgets are critical to corrosion control
The science and technology is changing rapidly. What was impossible 20 years ago is now available. We cannot rely
on outdated technologies
Society expects better corrosion control-
o NO LEAKS
o NO ENGINEERING FAILURES
o NO DEATH
o NO WASTE

Where can I go if I want more information on corrosion management?

You cant buy a university graduate, you have to rely on postgraduate training. NACE have a good training
department and have been going since 1947.
Icorr, based in the UK. They do a small number of courses.
Eurocorr
Individuals who do training.

THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS OF AN ONLINE TRAINING COURSE FOUND AT WWW.OILANDGASFUNDAMENTALS.COM.
IT IS FOR THE REVIEW OF COURSE PARTICIPANTS ONLY AND IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS APPLY