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51318-10909-Rapid Assessment of Station Piping CP Effectiveness In High Resistivity Environments

Buried station piping at a pipeline pump facility experienced low structure-to-electrolyte potentials after cathodic protection (CP) system commissioning. This paper describes the quick response soil side ER corrosion probe system, data collection, and data analysis.

Product Number: 51318-10909-SG
Author: Paul Murray / Naeem Khan
Publication Date: 2018
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Buried station piping at a pipeline pump facility with high soil resistivity experienced sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials post cathodic protection (CP) system commissioning. A prompt assessment of the external corrosion threat was required to determine if supplemental CP would be required, or if operating with sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials would be acceptable. One option to quantify the external corrosion threat on metallic structures is to utilize soil side electrical resistance (ER) corrosion probes. The corrosion growth rate obtained from soil side ER corrosion probes can be used to determine part of the external corrosion threat when CP system effectiveness is inadequate. However, soil side ER corrosion probes typically require a 12-month measurement time frame to establish representative corrosion growth rates. In this review, the project construction team needed to understand within a 3-month time frame if supplemental CP systems were required to alleviate sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials. A specialized soil side ER corrosion probe monitoring system was installed to obtain rapid corrosion growth rate data, which was used to determine the external corrosion threat being experienced on the buried station piping. This paper describes the quick response soil side ER corrosion probe system, data collection, and data analysis, and the decision-making process to not install supplemental CP systems. Additionally, the operating soil side ER corrosion probe data collected following the initial 3-month decision window is reported to validate the decision to operate with the sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials. However, at the end of the data collection period, anomalous results were found, which have been flagged for future investigation.

Key words: Buried station piping, high resistivity environment, CP criterion, soil side electrical resistance (ER) corrosion probe

Buried station piping at a pipeline pump facility with high soil resistivity experienced sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials post cathodic protection (CP) system commissioning. A prompt assessment of the external corrosion threat was required to determine if supplemental CP would be required, or if operating with sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials would be acceptable. One option to quantify the external corrosion threat on metallic structures is to utilize soil side electrical resistance (ER) corrosion probes. The corrosion growth rate obtained from soil side ER corrosion probes can be used to determine part of the external corrosion threat when CP system effectiveness is inadequate. However, soil side ER corrosion probes typically require a 12-month measurement time frame to establish representative corrosion growth rates. In this review, the project construction team needed to understand within a 3-month time frame if supplemental CP systems were required to alleviate sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials. A specialized soil side ER corrosion probe monitoring system was installed to obtain rapid corrosion growth rate data, which was used to determine the external corrosion threat being experienced on the buried station piping. This paper describes the quick response soil side ER corrosion probe system, data collection, and data analysis, and the decision-making process to not install supplemental CP systems. Additionally, the operating soil side ER corrosion probe data collected following the initial 3-month decision window is reported to validate the decision to operate with the sub-criterion structure-to-electrolyte potentials. However, at the end of the data collection period, anomalous results were found, which have been flagged for future investigation.

Key words: Buried station piping, high resistivity environment, CP criterion, soil side electrical resistance (ER) corrosion probe

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