Drag Reducing Agents (DRA) usage in liquid petroleum pipelines has increased over the past few decades, as they improve the mechanical efficiency of flow systems, but their potential impact on different aspects affecting corrosion management has not been fully evaluated. For example: DRA may a) decrease mass transfer and velocity near-wall, reducing flow induced localized corrosion or erosion-corrosion; b) introduce changes in the oil/water interface, affecting water-in-oil stratification and water-oil phase inversion point; c) affect the function of corrosion inhibitors by adsorbing to surfaces or direct chemical interaction.

The potential effect on water accumulation was not included in the model developed for the Pipeline Research Council International, Inc (PRCI) or in other models that are typically used6 for the indirect inspection step of the Liquid Petroleum Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment methodology (LP-ICDA).