Cathodic Protection System in Oil and Gas Exploration Industry

Maintaining the ageing infrastructure such as underground pipelines is a mission to the oil and gas industry worldwide. Corrosion is one of the main effects of ageing the industrial infrastructures. Comprehending its mechanism and how to control it, can lead to a stunning reduce in the cost of the products. Cathodic Protection (CP) is one of the most widely used ways to control corrosion control in industry.

The CP is a method that eliminates the corrosion of metals by the application of an electric current. It is a technique that has been known for 160 years and is extensively applied to offshore pipelines and tank farms, etc with great success. However, despite this long history and broad applicability, it is a technique that is all too often inadequately, or even improperly. Applied; with the result that structures are poorly protected or, worse, adversely interfered with.

Objectives

• This course is designed to provide the theoretical basis and the practical ability necessary operate and maintain Cathodic Protection (CP) systems in the oil and gas surface production facilities.
• The course provides comprehending of the fundamental principles of corrosion and applications of galvanic and impressed current CP systems.
• The course provides comprehending of the field equipment used to monitor CP systems and how they work.
• The course provides comprehending of the various factors that impact the performance of these systems.
• The course provides understanding of increase productivity by avoiding costly shutdowns thus reducing the cost of the overall corrosion control program.

Course Outline

Day 1

Significance of Corrosion Control

• Corrosion – Largest Single Cause of Plant Failure.
• Economic Effects.
• Environmental Effects.
• Safety Effects.
• Corrosion Management Preventive Strategies.
• Cost of Corrosion.
• Case Study: Catastrophic Corrosion Accidents.

Day 2

Corrosion & Its Control

• Requirements for Corrosion to Occur.
• Metallurgical Factors.
• Forms of Corrosion.
• Corrosion Control Methods.
• Material Selection.
• Environmental Modification.
• Protective Coatings.
• Cathodic Protection.

Day 3

Corrosive Environments & Construction of Materials

• Atmospheric Environments.
• Marine atmospheres.
• Industrial Atmospheres.
• Underground Environments.
• Concrete Structure Environment.
• Corrosion Properties of Carbon Steels.
• Corrosion Properties of Cast Iron.
• Corrosion Properties of Stainless Steels.
• Corrosion Resistance Properties of Aluminium.
• Corrosion Properties of Copper.
• Corrosion Properties of Nickle.

Day 4

Fundamentals of Cathodic Protection Systems

• Galvanic Series.
• General Application of Cathodic Protection.
• Economic Considerations.
• Industry Standard & Codes.
• Principle of CPS.
• The Cathodic Protection Cell.
• Methods of Applying Cathodic Protection.
• Sacrificial Cathodic Protection System.
• Impressed-Current Cathodic Protection System.
• Advantages of SCPS.
• Disadvantages SCPS.
• Advantages ICCP.
• Disadvantages ICCP.
• CPS Selection
• Basic Requirements for Cathodic Protection.
• Principles of Cathodic Protection.
• Cathodic Protection Criteria.
• Current Rectifiers/DC Power Source.
• Applicable NACE Standard for Cathodic Protection Systems.

Day 5

Cathodic Protection Systems and Coatings

• Role of Protective Coating in CPS.
• Selection Factors.
• Coating Defects.
• Coating Efficiency.
• Overvoltage.
• Cathodic Disbandment.
• Commonly used Coating in Conjunction with CPS.

Day 6

Cathodic Protection System Design

• Design Factors.
• Electrolyte resistivity survey.
• Electrolyte pH survey.
• Structure versus electrolyte potential survey.
• Current requirement.
• Coating resistance.
• Protective current required.
• Sacrificial anode (galvanic) cathodic protection design.
• Impressed current cathodic protection system design.
• Soil resistivity.
• Current requirement test.
• Typical CPS Design Parameters.
• pH TESTING PROCEDURES.
• Current Requirement Testing.

Day 7

Anodes & Rectifiers

• Anode Selection.
• Current output.
• Driving Potential.
• Anode life.
• Anode Shape & Dimension.
• Anode Material Cost.
• Anode Efficiency.
• Galvanic Anode Types
• Current Requirements for ICCP System.
• Anode Materials for ICCP.
• Anode Backfilling.
• Installation of Sacrificial Anodes.
• Anode Vent Piping.
• Impressed Current Anode Beds.
• Quality Control and Quality Assurance.
• Impressed Current Rectifiers/DC Power Source.

Day 8

Practicing & Construction of Cathodic Protection System

• Components of Cathodic Protection Systems.
• Essential Components.
• Isolating joints.
• Junction Boxes.
• Test stations, measuring points and coupons.
• Sleeve pipe.
• Thermite Weld.
• Earthing Systems.
• Line current measurement.
• Pipe Sleeves/Casings.
• Concrete Encased Pipe.
• Cathodic Protection Vessels & Tank Internals Vessels & Tank.
• Tanks for Storage of Chemicals.
• Water Circulating Systems.
• Heat exchangers (tube and shell).
• Water box coatings.
• Submarine pipelines.
• Construction of Cathodic Protection Systems.

Day 9

Instrumentation & Safety Aspects

• Alkalinity.
• Hydrogen Evolution.
• Chloride Evolution.
• Installation Adjacent to Telecommunication Services.
• Installation Adjacent to Railway Signal & Protection Circuits.
• Interaction at Discontinuities in Catholically Protected Structures.
• Installation at Jetties & Ships.
• Danger of Electric Shock.
• Installations on Immersed Structures.
• Installations for the Internal Protection of Plant.
• Fault Conditions in Electricity Power Systems.
• Stray Current Corrosion.
• High Impedance Voltmeter.
• Reference Cells (Half Cells) Reference Cells.

Day 10

Corrosion Management Systems

• Oilfield Cathodic Protection Systems.
• Corrosion Economy.
• Corrosion Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Asset Integrity and Corrosion Management.
• Corrosion Data Management.