OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE SECTION TITLE
CORROSION STRIKES C
When
Ed Hall reveals how a novel solution is helping in the fi ght against corrosion Without routine maintenance
orrosion is one of the biggest unforseen costs that oil & gas operators face and it is cited as one of the major issues for pipeline
failure in oil & gas and chemical process plants. T e Worldwide Corrosion Authority, NACE, estimates the cost of corrosion is more than US$2.5 trillion, which is roughly 3.4% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). Predominantly infl uenced by the
surrounding environment, corrosion can form quickly and un-noticed around the connection of a pipe, metal contact points, within the crevices of bolt heads and nuts, in steel to concrete interfaces or between a fl ange face and valve fi tting.
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corrosion can lead to serious safety risks and environmental hazards, such as leaks, which incur signifi cant penalties. Within the pipeline, failure to identify and resolve corrosion will ultimately lead to a failure to operate. T e costs to shutdown a pipeline due to
corrosion would be considerable in both material, labour and downtime. Simply cutting away corroded bolts is a task that can add two to three days to maintenance. In these situations a preventative approach is best adopted ideally before signs of degradation occur, but at least when corrosion is in early stages and equipment is still fully operable.
PIPE SUPPORT CORROSION PROTECTION AND INTEGRITY MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS - SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE FIELD It is well documented that pipe supports are the second biggest issue of corrosion on external piping after corrosion under insulation (CUI) in a wide range of industrial plants and off shore topside process piping. T e primary location for corrosion is at the 6 o’clock position where it is diffi cult to identify without close visual inspection or through the use of costly inspection equipment. It is not always safe and will often require detailed analysis prior to lifting for inspection purposes due to the design of some clamps
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