Presently, one of the most critical problems for offshore oil and gas pipelines is that of internal corrosion. Continuous rapidly changing offshore operating parameters pose new challenges for internal
corrosion technology. Recent publications indicate that most companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico have experienced some types of internal corrosion in their pipelines. This paper addresses many of the causes of the problem. It also discusses in detail actual operating experiences of a major offshore oil and gas company. In addition, it explains the results of
research studies initiated by this company, which recommended in situ coatings as the first line of defense against the internal corrosion. This, in turn, would be supplemented with limited inhibition in conjunction with periodic "soft" pigging as the most successful long-term solution. Over the past twenty-five years, this combination of defenses has proven one hundred percent successful and has more than doubled the life expectancy of several pipelines.