Module No*

Module

Topic

Description

1

Oil and gas industry

Overview and history

This module provides a bird’s eye view of the oil and gas industry. It describes different types of hydrocarbons, and provides a brief history of the industry. It explains how the industry is regulated by various government agencies in North America, and presents the impact of corrosion on the industry.

Regulation and corrosion cost

2

Oil and gas industry network

Production sector

This module presents various sectors of the oil and gas industry network operating between the underground wells where the hydrocarbons are found and the locations where they are used as fuels, for example, in an automobile. It presents operating conditions in different sectors, different types of materials used, and different types of corrosion that may take place.

Transmission, storage, and distribution sectors

Refinery sector

3

Materials

Properties

The oil and gas industry uses various materials, both metals and non-metals. More than 90% of the materials used are metals, but non-metals serve critical functions in the industry This module discusses the basic properties of metals and non-metals, types of materials used in the oil and gas industry, classification of materials and standards used to evaluate and select materials.

Carbon steels and Corrosion resistant alloys

Non-metallics

4

Main environmental factors

Flow, Pressure, Temperature

This module discusses environmental factors influencing corrosion. The environmental factors include flow, pressure, temperature, oil phase, water phase [anionic species (chlorides, sulfides, sulfates, carbonates, and bicarbonates), cationic species (magnesium, barium, strontium, calcium, ferrous, and ferric)], CO2, H2S, O2, solids, microbes, pH, organic acids, and mercury.

Acids and acid gases

Microbes

5

Mechanisms

Electrochemical nature of corrosion

Corrosion occur by various mechanism in the oil and gas industry.

General and localized corrosion

Cracking

High-temperature corrosion

6

Model – internal corrosion

Localized pitting corrosion

The primary functions of corrosion professionals are to predict whether a given material is susceptible to a particular type of corrosion in a given environment and to estimate the rate at which the material would corrode in that given environment. Predictive tools provide the corrosion professionals quick answers. This module presents models to predict general corrosion, pitting corrosion, erosion corrosion, MIC, and high temperature corrosion.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion

High temperature corrosion

7

Mitigation – internal corrosion

Pigging

This module discusses some solutions to mitigate internal corrosion, including pigging, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, lining, and cladding.

Corrosion inhibitors/biocides

Lining/Cladding

8

Monitoring – internal corrosion

Laboratory methodologies – Corrosion

It is important to ensure that the corrosion, under the field operating conditions, proceeds according to the anticipated low rate so that the infrastructure lasts for its designed service period. Various techniques are used to monitor the corrosion rate at different stages. This module discusses techniques to monitor internal corrosion in the laboratory and in the field as well as to inspect internal corrosion in the field.

Laboratory methodologies – Cracking

Field monitoring

Field inspection

9

Mitigation – external corrosion

Coatings

The external surface of oil and gas infrastructure is either exposed to atmospheric (above-ground structure) or underground (buried in soil or submerged in water) conditions. Standard procedures to control external corrosion for structures exposed to the atmosphere is the application of electrically insulating coatings, and for underground structures, electrically insulated coatings and cathodic protection (CP) are used. This module provides an overview of coatings and cathodic protection.

Insulators, metallic coating, and concrete coating

Cathodic protection

10

Modeling – external corrosion

Modelling based on laboratory tests

External corrosion takes place when the coating deteriorates and when the cathodic protection does not adequately protect these areas. This module discusses the models to predict the behavior of corrosion control measures and the rate of corrosion when the corrosion control measures fail.

Modelling based on field operating conditions

11

Monitoring – external corrosion

Field survey

This module discusses various monitoring techniques, including holiday detection, above-ground monitoring, remote monitoring, inline inspection, hydrostatic test, and below-ground inspection.

Field inspection

12

Measurement

Measurement

Certain parameters are normally measured for reasons other than corrosion control. This module discusses parameters measured, importance of quality control during measurement, and precautions when using these parameters in developing corrosion control strategies.

13

Maintenance

Equipment

A comprehensive and effective corrosion control program requires the maintenance of five interdependent entities (equipment, workforce, data, communication, and associated activities). This module describes general characteristics of these entities.

Human resources

Data

Communication

14

Management

Risk assessment

Corporate management implements a top-down approach to minimize risks in an economic way. The normal approach to estimate the risk due to corrosion is bottom-up. The corrosion management provides a vital and seamless link between top-down corporate (financial) and bottom-up corrosion team (technical) requirements.

This module describes critical aspects of corrosion management and integration of corrosion management with asset integrity management (AIM).

Risk management

Activities of internal corrosion management

Activities of external corrosion management

Asset integrity management