21SPTE313- Materials and

Equipment Design in Oil and Gas

Industry

Fall 2022
CORROSION AND MATERIALS SELECTION IN
THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

- “Corrosion is the destructive attack of a material

by reaction with its environment and a natural
potential hazard associated with oil and gas
production and transportation facilities.”

- Almost any aqueous environment can create

corrosion.

- Crude oil and natural gas can carry products

(impurities) which considering a corrosive products.
 CORROSION AND MATERIALS SELECTION IN
THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

- The highly corrosive components in oil and gas wells,

separators and pipelines, are:
1- carbon dioxide (CO2),
2- hydrogen sulfide (H2S),
3- water.

- These components can make an internal surfaces to

suffer from corrosion effects.
CORROSION AND MATERIALS SELECTION IN
THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

- This leads to loss of materials, reduction in

thickness, and reach the failure.

- If the break down (failure) is reached, then the

line will need to be replaced.

- That will stop the production.

- The serious consequences of the corrosion

process have become a serious problem in the oil
and gas industry.
 Anode, Cathode, and an Electrolyte
- In an aqueous environment of oil and gas production, processing,
and pipeline systems,

- Three elements are existing: an anode, a cathode, and an

electrolyte.

1- The anode is the site of the corroding metal,

2- The electrolyte is the corrosive medium,

(In the corrosive media, electrons are allowed to transfer from the
anode to the cathode),

3- The cathode forms the electrical conductor in the cell that is not
consumed in the corrosion process.
 Anode, Cathode, and an Electrolyte

http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/env110/lesson8_2.htm
 Corrosion Types
1- Galvanic :
- This type of corrosion occurs when two metallic
materials with different potential are in contact and are
exposed to an electrolytic environment.

- The mechanism is a classic electrochemical cell.

- Electrons flow through a metallic path from anode to

cathode.
 Corrosion Types
- At the same time, there is a migration of ions (charged
particles) in the electrolyte.

- The positive ions are charged metal particles dissolved

at the anode.

- Loss of these ions causes the corrosion of the anode.

- The negative ions come from the cathodic reactions.

- The anode corrodes and the cathode does not, in fact,

the cathode is protected against corrosion. (Figure 1).
 Galvanic Corrosion

Figure 1: Basic forms of galvanic corrosion.

 Corrosion Types (cont.)

2- Crevice Corrosion – Intensive localized

electrochemical corrosion occurs within crevices when in
contact with a corrosive fluid. Will accelerate after start.

3- Pitting Corrosion – Extremely localized attack that

results in holes in the metal. Will accelerate after start.
http://pressurevesseltech.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=1485030
 Hydrogen Sulfide Corrosion
- Fe + H2S + H2O FeSx + H2 + H2O

- FeS (Iron Sulphide accelerates corrosion),

- FeS is a plugging solid,
- Most FeS (very slowly acid soluble in thicker
deposits),
- FeS is very corrosive, especially at low
pressure.
Effect of Water Cut on the Corrosion Rate
 Corrosion Mitigation in the Oil and Gas
Industry

- For corrosion control and prevention in the oil

and gas industry, there are technical options can
be used such as:
1- Selection of appropriate materials,
2- Use of Inhibitors (chemical),
3- Use of protective coatings,
4- Cathodic protection technique,
5- Adequate corrosion monitoring and inspection.
 Control other Factors
1. Maintain high pH
2. Control gas breakout
3. Use passive metals
4. Remove oxygen
5. Control velocities
6. Lower chlorides
7. Bacteria control
1- Selection of appropriate materials
 2- Use of inhibitors
- Inhibitors are chemicals that are used to protect
the surface of metals used in oil and gas
industries to prevent corrosion.

- They protect the surface of metals either by

merging with them or by reacting with the
impurities.
 2- Use of inhibitors
- A corrosion inhibitor may act in a number of ways:

1- It may restrict the rate of the anodic process or the

cathodic process by simply blocking active sites on
the metal surface.

2- It may act by increasing the potential of the metal

surface so that the metal enters the passivation region.

- Table 5 shows recommended inhibitors for oil and

gas applications.
 3- Use of protective coatings
- A protective layer covers the material to avoid the
direct contact with the process media to enhance the
material and equipment life.

- The protective layer can be paint, a coating or a lining,

or a metallic lining or metallic sheets.

- There are also non-metallic linings like fiber glass,

glass flake, and rubber which are normally carried out
on the equipment like separators, knock-out drums,
and storage tanks.
 Cathodic protection

Protection of a buried pipeline Protection of an oil platform

• In all cases electrons flow from the anode, through the

connecting wire to the metal to be protected, which is the
cathode.
 Cathodic Protection
• Cathodic Protection (CP) is a technique used to control
the corrosion of a metal surface by making it the cathode of
an electrochemical cell.

• A simple method of protection connects protected metal to

a more easily corroded "sacrificial metal" to act as
the anode.

• The sacrificial metal then corrodes instead of the protected

metal.
 Cathodic Protection
• For structures such as long pipelines, where passive galvanic
cathodic protection is not adequate, an external DC electrical
power source is used to provide sufficient current.

• Cathodic protection systems protect a wide range of metallic

structures in various environments.

• Common applications are : offshore oil platforms and

onshore oil well casings
 4- Cathodic Protection
- Is an electrochemical technique used to protect some
facilities as pipelines and underground storage tanks that
makes the structure to be protected a cathode relative to
an external anode that discharges protective current to
all exposed surfaces.

- The source of the protective current may be an active

(impressed current) or passive (sacrificial) system of
galvanic anodes (usually magnesium, aluminum, or
zinc) (Figure 2).
 Pipeline Corrosion Design
• Soil Resistivity

- It is important to know the soil resistivity,

- To identify areas where soils of suitable low resistivity for

such installations,

- Low resistivity environment may mean a truly serious

condition,

- A soil resistivity profile is extremely helpful in the later

selection of sites for CP installations.
Pipeline Corrosion Design
Pipeline Corrosion Design
 Pipeline Corrosion Design
- Soil samples should be taken at the depth of the
pipeline in areas where soil resistivity data may
indicate corrosive conditions.

- Samples should be sent to a qualified laboratory to

perform the analysis in accordance with standard
practices.

- Table 5.7 shows the effect of Chlorides, Sulfates, and

pH on Corrosion of Buried Steel Pipelines
 Cathodic Protection (CP)
- Is an electrochemical technique used to protect some
facilities as pipelines and underground storage tanks
that makes the structure to be protected a cathode
relative to an external anode that discharges protective
current to all exposed surfaces.

- The source of the protective current may be an active

(impressed current) or passive (sacrificial) system of
galvanic anodes (usually magnesium, aluminum, or
zinc) (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Cathodic protection technique
 Galvanic Anode Applications
- For pipeline CP applications,

- Galvanic anodes are generally used in cases where

relatively small amounts of current are required (typically
less than 1A),

- And areas where soil resistivity is low enough (typically

less than 10,000 ohm-cm),

- To obtaining the desired current with a reasonable

number of anodes.

- If large amounts of current are needed (typically greater

than 1A) impressed current systems is considered to be
more economical.
 Galvanic Anode Applications
- Some operators follow a practice of installing
galvanic anodes at each location where a leak is
repaired (hot spot protection) rather than installing a
complete CP system.

- The two galvanic anode metals commonly used for

buried pipelines are magnesium and zinc.
Galvanic Anode Applications
 Calculating Anode Life
1- Magnesium Anode

0.116 × 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 × 𝐸𝑓𝑖𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 × 𝑈𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 =
𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 (𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠)

2- Zinc Anode

0.0424 × 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 × 𝐸𝑓𝑖𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 × 𝑈𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 =
𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 (𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠)

“The utilization factor may be taken as 85% —meaning that when the anode is
85% consumed, it will require replacement because there is insufficient anode
material remaining to maintain a reasonable percentage of its original current
output.”
Example
Assume that a 32 lb magnesium anode is producing 0.1 A at 50%
efficiency and that a 30 lb zinc anode is producing 0.1 A at 90%
efficiency. Compare the expected operating lives at the 0.1 A
output.

Note: zinc is typically less expensive than magnesium.

- If the installation cost of Zinc anode = $250
- Project life = 20 yrs
- The cost per year = $ 250/ 20 yr = $ 12.5/ yr

- If the installation cost of Magns. anode = $ 350

- The cost per year = $ 350/ 20 yr = $ 17.5/ yr

- If the total interval of pipeline is 10 mile.

- Each anode will cover 15 ft.
- The total cost of the 10 miles interval is:
- Total cost = $ 250 * (52800 ft/ 15 ft) = $ 880,000
- 1 mile = 5280 ft
 Design Considerations
- A general rule-of-thumb says that zinc anodes are
better used in the lower soil resistivity (below 1500
ohm-cm) and magnesium anodes are better in the
higher resistivity soils (between 1500 and 10,000 ohm-
cm).

- This rule is not universal and will depend on the

application.
Design Considerations
 References
1- A.W. PEABODY, CONTROL OF PIPELINE CORROSION, NACE International The Corrosion
Society, Second Edition 2001.
2-http://events.nace.org/library/articles/corrosion101.asp.
3- http://gekengineering.com/Downloads/Free_Downloads/Corrosion_Overview.pdf