A cathodic protection (CP) system reduces corrosion by minimizing the difference in potential between the anode and the cathode. This reduction can be achieved by applying a current to the structure to be protected from an electrical source. When enough current is applied, the whole structure will be at one potential, thus anode and cathode sites will not exist. CP is commonly used on many types of structures, such as pipelines and underground storage tanks.
The paper is about an effort to improve Southern Area Gas Producing Facilities’ (SAGPF’s) CP system in compliance with all related Saudi Aramco standards, procedures, and GIs, and provides in depth analysis and recommendations to mitigate CP system challenges, and to make CP system reliable. In addition, the study aims to identify key tasks to minimize the effect of component failures and to increase the reliability of SAGPF remote monitoring units, to get accurate data. The onsite CP system survey was performed from April 26 to September 30, 2018, for all SAGPF. This paper is focused on the major challenges, such as equipment failures, operational deficiencies, and technical recommendations to make the CP system efficient and reliable.