Corrosion in the Oil and Gas Industry

Introduction

Corrosion problems have always presented a severe challenge to oil and gas producing operations. Operators plan for long periods of continuous production with maintenance schedules for the prescribed shutdown periods. Unfortunately, corrosion does not always respect these schedules, resulting in severe economic penalties due to loss of production. In addition, the risk of pollution and hazards to safety are other important reasons for adequate corrosion engineering. The course considers external protection using corrosion resistant materials, coatings, and cathodic protection. The importance of internal corrosion and its prevention will be examined with emphasis on material selection, coatings and use of corrosion inhibitors.The contribution of inspection (non-destructive testing), and corrosion monitoring to the overall operation will be considered in detail. Corrosion problems concerning” risers” and subsea-lines will be considered together with methods for protection

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will gain an understanding of corrosion engineering in oil and gas production involving the various methods available for corrosion control, regulatory and safety matters, and the contribution of an integrated monitoring and inspection program for operations and diagnosis of problems.

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

The course is designed essentially for process and mechanical engineers employed by the operating companies engaged in oil and gas production. The material is also appropriate for those personnel concerned with special functions in the oil industry including inspection, material selection, and corrosion control, as well as those involved in R&D. The staff of service companies providing corrosion inhibitors and overall corrosion services should also find this course beneficial, together with companies or manufacturers' marketing materials, coatings, and equipment for cathodic protection, inspection (NDT), and corrosion monitoring.

Course Outline

Day 1: Overview – Corrosion in Oil and Gas Production

Economics of Corrosion Damage:

• Loss of production
• Repair costs
• Material choice
• Corrosion control methods – Relative costing
• Management of corrosion control
• Political considerations
• Safety
• Environment

Introduction to Corrosion and Corrosion Control:

• Definitions
• Materials Involved
• Environments
• Corrosion Damage
• Metallurgy
• Methods for Protection

Basic Corrosion Principles:

• Corrosion Rate
• Electrochemical Reactions
• Electrode Potentials
• Kinetics
• Passivity
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Velocity
• Conductivity
• pH
• Dissolved Gases

Forms of Corrosion:

• Uniform
• Pitting
• Crevice
• Galvanic
• Erosion
• Intergranular
• Weld Corrosion
• Selective Leaching
• High Temperature
• Turbulence
• Fretting
• Stress Corrosion
• Hydrogen Embrittlement
• Fatigue

Corrosion Aspects – Oxygen:

• Role of Oxygen in Oilfield Corrosion
• Downhole and Surface Equipment
• Waterflood
• Removal of Oxygen
• Analysis and Criteria for Control

Corrosion Aspects – Sour:

• Role of Hydrogen Supplied
• Corrosion in Downhole, Surface, Storage, and Pipelines

Day 2: Corrosion Aspects – Sweet

• Role of Carbon Dioxide
• Effect of Temperature and Pressure
• Corrosion of Well Tubing and Other Equipment

Corrosion Aspects – Bacterial:

• Effect on Corrosion Situation
• Micro-Organisms
• Techniques for Control
• Monitoring

Corrosion Prevention – Inhibitors:

• Types of Corrosion Inhibitors
• Choice and Selection
• Quality Assurance
• Logistics
• Criteria for Effectiveness

Corrosion Prevention – Design:

• Environmental Effects
• Consideration of Geometry
• Elimination of Stress
• Different Metals
• Velocity of Corrodent
• Temperature
• Design Codes
• Codes of Practice
• Standards

Corrosion Prevention – Cathodic Protection:

• Principles of Operation
• Applications
• Surveys
• Engineering in the Field
• Galvanic Systems
• Impressed Current Systems
• Criteria for Effectiveness

Corrosion Prevention – Materials and Selection:

• Carbon, Low Alloy, Stainless and Duplex Steels
• Non-Ferrous Metals
• Non-Metallic Materials

Corrosion Prevention – Coatings and Linings:

• Inorganic and Organic
• Metallic
• Surface Preparation
• Quality Assurance
• Inspection during Application

Day 3: Corrosion Monitoring

• Philosophy
• Objectives
• Methods
• Application
• Design Considerations
• Liaison with Inspection
• Integrated Systems
• Management
• Data Handling and Presentation

Water Chemistry:

• Scaling Properties
• Disposal
• Microbiology
• Corrosion Aspects

Manufacturers’ Demonstration:

• Corrosion Control Equipment

Inspection and Nondestructive Testing (NDT):

• Inspection Function
• Calipers for Downhole Tubing
• Ultrasonic systems
• Radiography
• Intelligent Vehicles
• Other Methods
• Management of Contracts

Failure Analysis:

• System Approach
• Investigation of Corrosion Failures

Pipelines and Risers:

• Corrosion Hazards
• Methods for Control of Corrosion
• Inspection and Monitoring
• Coatings and Cathodic Protection
• Pressure Testing

Day 4: Oil Treatment Corrosion

• Crude Oil Properties
• Desalting
• Distillation and Other Processing

Case Histories Workshop

Sweetening Processes –Corrosion

Day 5: Quality Assurance

• Philosophy
• Planning
• Quality Profile
• Role of Certifying Authorities

Subsea Systems – Corrosion:

• Ramifications Infrastructure
• Inspection and Corrosion Monitoring

Case History – Oil Storage Tank Corrosion

Oilfield and Oil Treating Facilities:

• Offshore Platforms
• Downhole Equipment
• Surface Equipment
• Terminals
• Course Discussions
• Course Evaluation
• Course Summary