INTERNAL CORROSION MONITORING SYSTEMS IN OIL & GAS PRODUCTION

Elements of a Corrosion Control Strategy

There are three main components in the development and implementation of the corrosion control strategies.

Risk/criticality assessment

Risk assessment involves the identification of the main corrosion mechanism(s) possible for a given material/fluid combination, and the consequences of such corrosion occurring. -Criticality assessment combines the consequences of such failure with the probability of happening.
The assessments can be undertaken in many ways but there should be a well-defined trail.

Individual corrosion mechanisms depend on specific parameters that can be controlled and monitored in different ways. In most cases the probability of internal corrosion is dominated by only one or perhaps two corrosion mechanisms.

Control procedures

Once the main risks have been identified and assessed, measures to mitigate the risks need to be identified and implemented. 1) predicted/measured rates of attack may be acceptable (and it is sufficient to keep the key parameters within their design limits). 2) In other cases additional measures will be required, e.g. material selection or chemical treatment (corrosion inhibitor, oxygen scavenger, etc.).

Monitoring and inspection

In all cases monitoring/inspection plans shall be made to confirm: Actual vs. predicted corrosion rates That process parameters are within design limits Correct operation and efficiency of corrosion control measures Monitoring and inspection are two overlapping tasks. -The first is the ongoing monitoring of the corrosion process and the measures taken to control it. -The second is the prerequisite of mechanical integrity assurance. Inspection also provides data points against which corrosion monitoring is often tuned. In a corrosion control strategy these tasks aim to determine: a) whether the expected corrosion is actually occurring b) the corrosion rate c) the effectiveness of any control measures

Monitoring and inspection

This table classifies currently available inspection and monitoring techniques indicating the complementary characteristics of each technique.

Corrosion Control Strategy

All of the above activities (risk assessment/ corrosion control / inspection & monitoring) are interdependent. Results from corrosion monitoring and inspection must be used to re-evaluate and modify the risk and criticality assessment and any control procedures.

Corrosion Monitoring Methods

When undertaking corrosion monitoring it is important not to rely on just one method. The best results are obtained by using a range of techniques. Corrosion monitoring in this context can be defined as the use

of any method that enables an operator to estimate or measure the corrosion rate occurring in service of an item of plant, or the corrosivity of a process stream.

Inspection

Inspection techniques are used to assess wall thickness changes, and detect material defects with the possibility of detecting pit growth or crack propagation. The techniques most commonly used are: ultrasonics, magnetic flux (on-line inspection vehicle), radiography, acoustic emission, thermography, visual examination, dye penetrant and magnetic particle inspection.

On-line corrosion monitoring

These techniques are used to assess changes in corrosivity with time. Typically the techniques are probe based and include electrical resistance methods, electrochemical methods weight loss coupons.

Analysis of process streams

It consists in the monitoring of key process variables affecting stream corrosivity (i.e. P, T, Q, fluid composition), production chemistry laboratory data (bio-activity, pH, oxygen content, chlorine, etc.), corrosion product concentration (Fe or Mn concentration) and chemical treatments (dose rate and frequency). Many of these (monitoring) processes have fast response times ([O2], pH, etc.) and are used to monitor process control. (Example, the use of on-line oxygen monitoring to maintain an acceptable oxygen content in a sea water injection stream to control corrosion rates).
Process stream data can be used with mathematical models to predict the potential corrosion rates throughout the facility.

Operational history assessment

It consists in the analysis of previous data as an aide to providing information about the present and predicted corrosion rates. This includes: Examination of production and operational records, including details of process changes, which can give an insight to the corrosivity of the system. Failure analysis and inspection data can be used to predict parts of a facility most susceptible to certain modes of attack and subsequent failure.

Data Correlation

Once, corrosion monitoring and process data analyses were perceived as quite separate from inspection activities (historically concerned with mechanical integrity); today many inspection techniques can be used as corrosion monitoring tools. For any corrosion monitoring/inspection program to be fully effective it is vital that all of the above information can be accessed centrally and compared together. This can be achieved by ensuring full access to all databases which hold the relevant information and having the appropriate software to conduct the relevant correlational analysis.

Selection of a Corrosion Monitoring Location and Technique

Selection of the appropriate monitoring location(s) and technique(s) is critical for successful corrosion monitoring. Wrong location or technique will result in big efforts and expense only to generate inappropriate and misleading info.
In many cases incorrect selection is worse than no selection as the quality of data are often not questioned.

Physical access is important but should not dictate monitoring location. However, when a monitoring point is identified the position should allow routine access for probe maintenance, retrieval etc. There are no fixed rules on how to select a corrosion monitoring location or technique but the first step must be to identify correctly the types of corrosion mechanisms to be monitored.

Historical approach

Experience at other assets that utilize similar facilities and fluids is often the best source of advice regarding the most suitable locations and/or monitoring techniques. Inspection/shutdown reports and maintenance lists can provide valuable information on which parts of a facility have experienced the most severe corrosion. This aspect is vitally important at the design stage where operator feed back could prevent mistakes being re-made.

Interdisciplinary Communication
A wide range of disciplines need to be networked to obtain a full picture of current and potential future problems. For example: production engineers can provide information on production profiles and well intervention programs which may influence corrosion Production chemists have knowledge on fluid properties and chemical control measures which may influence corrosion Maintenance engineers can identify where most failures or replacements have been located.

Check List Procedure for Monitoring System Selection and Location

Location of corrosive phase

From the predicted corrosion rates, the most likely location of corrosion for a given phase must be identified. A good example is the transportation of wet gas. In this case corrosion, related to water drop out, will occur at the bottom of line. Corrosion at the top of line will occur as a result of water condensing from the gas phase.

Selecting a Corrosion Monitoring Method

Selecting a Corrosion Monitoring Method

Corrosion Monitoring Methods

Weight Loss Corrosion Coupons (I) Electrical Resistance (I & NI) Hydrogen Probes (I & NI) Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (NI) Linear Polarisation Methods (I) A C Impedance (I) Electrochemical Noise (I) Radioactive Methods (NI)

Probe Types

INTRUSIVE The probe is located internally in contact with the corrosive environment, usually via a standard 2 access fitting. In high pressure system, H2S containing fluids, this solution includes safety issues, especially during the operation of probe extraction under pressure. This fact could be not acceptable. NON INTRUSIVE The probe is located to the external side of the pipe or vessel wall.

2 inch Standard Access Fittings

Probe Positioning

Central Mounted

Flush Mounted

CC

ND min. 4"

ND min. 4"

Water Trap Installation for Monitoring Probes

Weight Loss Coupons

Weight Loss Coupons

Electrical Resistance Methods

This approach is similar to the weight loss coupon except that the metal loss is monitored by measuring the change in electrical resistance rather than weight loss. The electrical resistance of a section of a conductive material can be expressed as: R = r L/A
where: R = resistance (ohms) r = resistivity (ohm cm) L = length (cm) A = cross sectional area (cm2)

Electrical Resistance Probes

Field Signature Method (FSM)

FSM is a variation of the ER method. In contrast to traditional ER measurements the FSM is non-intrusive and uses the pipe wall as the active electrode area. An electric current is fed into the pipe wall through contact pins. Pins can be either welded or clamped onto the outer pipe wall. The voltage drop between the pins is measured and converted into a corrosion rate. In the FSM technique an array of studs (24 to 64) are used so that a large area (0.1 to 1.1 m2) of pipe can be monitored. The device is capable to detect 200 mpy within 1 day for a typical export pipeline. The advantage over traditional methods is that non-uniform corrosion can be monitored, but the detection limit is dependant on pin number and density.

FSM System

Hydrogen Probes

Corrosion reactions occurring at low pH or where proton reduction is a significant cathodic process generate molecular hydrogen as a cathodic reaction. The reaction is fairly complex...

Hydrogen ions are formed in solution and will adsorb onto the metal surface (H+ads) where they can be reduced to form atomic hydrogen (Ho ads). Atomic hydrogen atoms then combine to form molecular hydrogen (H2). A proportion of the atomic hydrogen atoms do not combine on the corroding surface but diffuse through the metal until they reach a defect / or the outer surface of the metal where they combine to form molecular hydrogen.

Hydrogen Probes

In certain steels this can lead to blistering and hydrogen induced cracking (HIC), this effect is more evident with high strength steels and H2S (H2S retard the recombination of atomic H at the corroding surface). For a given corrosion rate, there will be an increase in the flux of atomic hydrogen atoms through the micro structure of the steel in the presence H2S.

Hydrogen Probes

Hydrogen monitoring measures the flux of hydrogen passing through the steel and correlates this with general corrosivity and the possibility of hydrogen-related damage. -The methods presently used to monitor this effect comprise probes inserted directly into the process stream / or patch detectors welded onto the outside of the pipe wall. The hydrogen probe was developed for sour oil and gas production equipment. The probe can be inserted into a line through a standard 2 access fitting. The probe collects the molecular hydrogen (H2) resulting from the combination of atomic hydrogen diffusing through the steel in an artificial cavity within the probe. The increase in pressure associated with this molecular hydrogen is detected by a gauge or with a pressure transducer. The rate of pressure build up can be related to the potential for hydrogen damage occurring in the vessel or pipework.

Hydrogen Probes
Beta Foil Patch Probe

Intrusive Probe

The Beta-Foil is a variation on the traditional patch probe. In this case a thin foil is glued onto the outer pipewall and a vacuum drawn between the foil and pipework.

Ultrasonic Technique - Fleximat

The device was developed for permanent installation on areas of pipework and vessels. The mat can be interrogated with a data logger allowing repetitive measurements of exactly the same area to be made.

Linear Polarisation Resistance Method (LPR)

The measurement involves polarising the metal of interest and measuring the resulting current. At small voltage perturbations (up to 25mV) the current is linearly related to the voltage giving a constant called the polarisation resistance (Rp): Rp = E/ i
where: Rp = polarisation resistance (ohms) E = potential difference (V) i = change in current (A)

The polarisation resistance can be converted into a corrosion rate by the Stern-Geary equation, icorr = B / Rp A

where: icorr = corrosion current (A cm-2) B = Stern-Geary constant (typically 0.027V for carbon steel) A = electrode area (cm2).

Polarization Resistance

LPR Technique

The LPR technique provides rapid measure of corrosion rate, therefore it is sensitive to changes in environment and can be used for process control (such as oxygen control in a sea water system).
The technique measures the total resistance of the system. This includes solution resistance. In some situations (wet gas lines) the solution resistance is significant and needs to be corrected for.

The technique requires the probe to be continuously water wet. In most oilfield applications, water cuts in excess of ca 10-20% are required.
As per ERP, flush mounted probes can often short circuit under conditions where conductive deposits can form (sulphide containing environment). This can often lead to an over estimation of potential corrosivity.

Effect of inhibitor addition by Rp monitoring

Linear Polarization Probe

AC Impedance Technique

AC Impedance is used mostly in laboratory for corrosion studies. The technique uses identical probes to those in the LPR technique. However, the instrumentation is quite different. In the AC impedance technique the applied voltage is not DC as in the LPR technique but is an AC signal covering the range from 100kHz to 1mHz. The current response of the cell is monitored and, using AC theory, the impedance of the cell is calculated. The data can then be presented in several formats, the most common being the complex plane plot (or Nyquist plot).

AC Impedance Technique

Provides a fairly rapid estimation of corrosivity, which is corrected for solution resistance effects. The technique should be used to indicate corrosion trends rather than absolute values. As all other electrochemical techniques, requires the probe to be continuously water wet. Data interpretation can be difficult and so the technique should not be used for routine corrosion monitoring. The technique may have limited application in troubleshooting studies.

Electrochemical Noise Technique

EN is a relatively new technique and differs from most electrochemical techniques in that an external signal is not applied to the corrosion probe but rather the inherent potential and/or current fluctuations are monitored with time. These oscillations in potential (electrochemical potential noise, EPN) and current (electrochemical current noise, ECN) are a result of the random nature of corrosion. Statistical. (The data are analyzed statistically). The ratio of the standard deviation of the voltage noise (Vn) and the current noise (In) for digital systems allows a noise resistance (Rn) to be estimated. The noise resistance (Rn) is equivalent to the polarisation resistance (Rp) obtained from the LPR technique and can also be used in the Stern-Geary equation to determine corrosion rates.

Electrochemical Noise Signal Output

Radioactive Methods

Thin Layer Activation (TLA): The surface of a metal is bombarded with high energy charged particles in an ion beam which causes a small fraction of the atoms of the metal to become radioactive isotopes. The radioactive elements emit gamma rays which can be detected externally and enable material loss to be calculated. Neutron Activation: This method is similar to the TLA technique but in this case the whole specimen is irradiated by neutrons prior to exposure to the corrosive medium. (The irradiation is carried out in a nuclear reactor which is available at a limited number of centers). This limits the size of the test piece which can be used. The emitted radiation (gamma rays) is used to monitor material thickness or mass which radiates less energy as it corrodes.

An Example of Corrosion Monitoring System Design for a Severely Sour Field Kashagan Offshore Process Facilities

Selected Probes

The following corrosion monitoring probes have been selected: Intrusive Probes: - weight loss corrosion coupons, CC; - electrical resistance probes (quick response type and suitable for sour service), ERQR/SS; NonNon-intrusive Probes: Probes: - flexible ultrasonic transducer mats, UTMAT; - field signature method, FSM; - hydrogen monitoring probe, HMP;

Fixed Flanged Assembly for Intrusive Probes

CIP 1A(T)

CMP 1A(T) Battery Limit

Test Manifold CIP 1A

CMP 0

LEGEND
CIP - Corrosion Inhibitor Injection Point

Production Manifold
CMP 1A

Flowlines

BLOCK A
WELLS Block A

CMP - Corrosion Monitoring Point Corrosion Coupon Electrical Resistance Probe Hydrogen Monitoring Probe UT mat

CIP 1D(T)

Test Manifold
CMP 1D(T) CIP 1D(100/200/300) CMP 0 Manifold CMP 1D(1/2/300)

Test Separator Skid TEST SEP.

FSM System CRA - Corrosion Resistant Alloy

BLOCK D

LTCS + 6 mm Corrosion Allowance Corrosion Monitoring Spool

CMP 2D(100)

BARGE 5/18/19 UNIT 200 Trains 100/200/300 Flowlines

CMP 4D(100)

PROCESS BARGES

CMP 11D(1,2,300)

DRILLING ISLAND
WELLS Block D

G.Dehy.(310)

DRY GAS EXPORT to Sealine CMP 8D Battery Limit

HP SEP.
CMP 5D(1/2/300)

FGC (360)

RGI (385)

CIP 3DT CIP 3D

MP SEP.
CMP 3D(T) CMP 6D(1/2/300) RGI Flowlines

CMP 3D Battery Limit

LP SEP. Open Drain Header

CMP 9D(5/18/19) Closed Drain Header CMP 10D(5/18/19)

CMP 7D(1/2/300) (corrosion spool) Oil Export Pumps

RISER ISLAND
FSM System Recommended Pipeline Scope of Work

CRUDE OIL EXPORT to Sealine FSM System Recommende

Booster Pumps

Pipeline Scope of Work Battery Limit