Pipeline & Gas Journal
March issue 2000:

NACE International

CP Experts Mull Future
Of Pipeline Corrosion Control

Lee Bone, is President of NACE International for the upcoming 2000-2001 term. He is owner of Lee Bone and Associates and recently retired as Director of Materials Research and Technical Support at ARCO Exploration and Production Technology in Plano, TX. Bone has worked as a materials researcher and engineer in the chemical and energy industry since 1963.

Lee Bone III, President of NACE International, posed a series of questions about the future of corrosion control in the pipeline industry to six NACE members who specialize in cathodic protection (CP) of oil and gas pipelines. They offered a host of predictions about technology trends and personnel practices to look for in the next millennium.

Question 1. As a result of computer simulation and recent software developments, what advances and changes in CP and line-locating are in store over the next decade?

Fitzgerald: Advanced computer simulation should make it possible to design complex CP systems on the computer. We can now do attenuation and other calculations on pipelines but with further simulation, I expect that a gas distribution system could be simulated and printouts of anode, test station and isolation locations obtained.

Parker: Advances in internal tool (smart pig) computerization and software are now allowing risk assessment pipeline integrity programs to better analyze data and predict pipeline integrity. Advances in computer modeling—such as the kind we currently use for CP current distribution in shot-rock pipeline ditches, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) prediction models, soils corrosiveness modeling, and the re-evaluation of CP criteria in different soils—will enable the pipeline operator to more wisely channel funds to actual problem areas. Operators should be able to run their pipeline integrity programs as “asset preservation” programs instead of managing declining assets.
Eastman: Our industry is somewhat slow to react to advances in computer technology. However, since several manufacturers have successfully implemented CP data management systems, the doors are wide open for future applications. These programs, along with computer simulation, will provide “finite element-like” models for design and troubleshooting of CP systems.

Didas: Several promising software developments are being funded by PRCI (Pipeline Research Council International, Inc.) and may be commercialized in 2001. These CP models will allow the corrosion engineer to perform predictive modeling of corrosive conditions and determine the most effective locations for installing CP. The CP industry needs more standardized software that will replicate the commonly used design, maintenance calculations, references and tables. Improvements in the technology used for pipe and cable locators are under way. We’ve seen it implemented in several “smart” locators that will locate structures and analyze their condition. I see locator technology diversifying into two separate technologies: one that offers solid, reliable pipe and cable locators at a low cost and the other offering a high-cost smart pipe analyzer that will locate and evaluate the structure’s CP and coating condition, locate contacts, shorts, and provide solutions.

Boreman: There appears to be significant progress in the use of instrumentation and software to deal with the complex evaluation and design needed for stray current mitigation. I expect to see continued development and enhancement of remote monitoring systems to provide real-time CP evaluation of pipelines.

Gundry: The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) initiative regarding mapping is causing pipeline companies to move forward with the implementation of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The GIS is a computer-based system that allows users to retrieve all sorts of information about a pipeline at a specific location, with the click of a mouse. A combination of computer simulation, GIS, and Global Positioning System (GPS) is something we will see in the near future. Using GPS for line locating is a technique that will be used to a much greater degree. Smart pigs with GPS receivers that give coordinates for the anomalies found are available now. This technology makes for very accurate digs.

Question 2. In what ways will the role of CP personnel continue to change as a result of corporate downsizing and other factors?

Parker: Downsizing seems to change according to the pendulum swing. Knowledge and history of CP and pipeline systems are lost through downsizing. This loss is enormous and will eventually hurt companies that cut staff too deeply. CP personnel are incredibly informed today compared to decades ago because of advances in pigging, modeling, research, and computerization. More expert CP personnel will better allocate monies to areas in need. Instead of completing 20 percent per year of close interval survey on a five-year rotation, modeling may demonstrate that certain sections of a pipeline system need to be surveyed, or even internally inspected, at a more frequent cycle while other sections might need a cycle of seven to 10 years.

Eastman: Depending on the future viability of remote monitoring technology and its economic benefits, I can see all required CP reads being taken remotely in the future, with monitoring, troubleshooting, and reporting being performed by qualified corrosion personnel. No doubt that as technology advances, the roles and responsibilities of gas transmission personnel will continue to change.

Didas: More and more companies are downsizing their corrosion control staff and either using a multi-skilled workforce to perform corrosion-control tasks or outsourcing them to qualified contractors. The role of CP personnel will become even more critical as they begin monitoring the workforce or contractor, validating and analyzing the data, scheduling preventive or mitigating actions and performing their required functions. To keep up, CP personnel will need to rely upon e-mail, the Internet, phone mail, data and voice paging, remote monitoring and data collection, data analysis software and computerized scheduling.

Boreman: There will always be a need for a person qualified in corrosion-control methods at pipeline operating companies. Those in charge will be more involved in risk management as priorities focus on the continued spreading of population densities, additional pipelines to meet supply and the growing problem of third-party damage. One result of downsizing is the trend of supervisors with multiple responsibilities managing day-to-day corrosion-control requirements. Managers will continue to rely on outside contractors for many basic functions such as pipe-to-soil surveys and CP installations.
Gundry: Corporate downsizing is affecting the way we handle our corrosion-control duties. It has made us look for better, more cost-effective ways to monitor our pipeline systems. Remote monitoring and computer simulation are means of acquiring system information with fewer employees. The trained, certified CP professional will do less routine survey work and will concentrate on troubleshooting and other specialized testing. In many cases, the work will be outsourced.

Question 3. How will remote monitoring communications systems (telephone, SCADA, satellite, and radio transmission) and remote rectifier systems get more sophisticated?
Eastman: Remote monitoring of rectifier and Electrolysis Test Station locations is already moving toward cost-effective technology. In my mind, the technology has not yet proven its effectiveness and reliability. However, once perfected, it will significantly impact staffing and the role of corrosion personnel.

Didas: As communications media lower their costs for data transmission, and as equipment costs go down, the use of this technology will increase. What it does and how it works will change. Satellite technology, cellular data and digital paging will be used for monitoring CP power supplies and data gathering. This technology will give CP personnel the ability to know in real time if the CP system is operating or out of service. This will allow them to respond to outages and keep the CP system operating, unlike the situation today in which the majority of CP systems are checked during a patrol cycle and might be out of service for two months prior to discovery.

Boreman: Nicor is currently testing a proactive risk management system that is designed not only to continually monitor the performance of our transmission pipeline CP systems, but also to alarm us of possible third-party damage to our lines. The system will give us real-time data over the Internet, making geographic location a non-issue and allowing quicker responses to potential problems. The system is also designed to provide e-mail alarm notifications to multiple mobile communicating devices (e-mail, pagers, cell phones, etc.).

Gundry: Remote monitoring systems have already become very sophisticated. Not only are they capable of retrieving information using all of the listed technologies, the rectifiers can be controlled through the system. Rectifiers can be simultaneously interrupted using the GPS time stamp to keep the interrupters synchronized. Data collectors are also available that are GPS-synched to obtain precise “instant-off” potentials.
Fitzgerald: I expect that increased sophistication will appear in the form of smaller, more accurate and less expensive units. This will make remote monitoring even more desirable than it is now.

Question 4. In your view, how will computer-driven data collection and analysis change the direction of the industry?

Didas: A computer-driven data collection program allows you to use properly trained and qualified non-corrosion personnel to perform tasks, freeing corrosion specialists to perform more useful tasks. Corrosion records stored in databases should also allow simpler Department of Transportation (DOT) audits or even the possibility of a remote audit performed from the inspector’s office. The quality of pipeline engineering analysis will improve as we use this technology to integrate corrosion, smart pig and inspection data into various databases and thereby do more select preventative maintenance and pipeline rehabilitation.

Boreman: Computer-driven data collection and analysis will provide us with better modeling for future pipeline maintenance, corrosion-control repairs and possible replacements by providing us with a more streamlined method for making decisions. The ability to manage large amounts of CP data through computerization is already providing managers with a quicker picture of their systems’ performance and the need for corrective action. Receiving information on-line and combining alarm data provides preventative capabilities and improved risk management.

Fitzgerald: The trend toward more computer-driven data collection and analysis will require corrosion personnel to have more education and skills. They will need to know how to use data loggers and sophisticated electronic instruments as well as how to interpret data printouts.

Question 5. Over the next five years, what crucial regulatory changes do you foresee?

Boreman: Pipeline safety and uninterrupted product delivery will continue to be the top issues. I sincerely hope that the issue of third-party damage is continually looked at, and that the proper rulings and requirements are passed and enforced. I foresee a time when remote monitoring of CP systems is seen as a more acceptable means of determining if federal requirements are being met.

Gundry: OPS has, over the last few years, emphasized the reduction of incidents due to third-party damage, the No. 1 cause of pipeline releases. They will change their focus to corrosion control, the No. 2 cause. The corrosion-control portions of the federal regulations have already been revised and should be issued very shortly. OPS is being pushed by Congress and the NTSB to step up enforcement efforts. I see stricter regulations and an increased number of inspections. I also see regulations coming that will require smart pigging, both for metal loss and for longitudinal weld seam cracks. This will place a huge burden on operators of older pipelines.

Fitzgerald: I think a major change will be a training and certification requirement for corrosion personnel, from data collectors to supervisors. Construction supervisors may also require the kind of certification, too, now required for tank installers.

Parker: I believe the regulations will move away from such things as manually reading rectifiers every other month and reading every test station and move into new technologies such as RMUs, low point monitoring, close interval surveys, and using modeling of corrosion pit growth using internal tool data and CP coupons. I’m glad to see that NACE is getting more involved with the regulatory agencies. We, as the leading corrosion engineering society, must lead in this area and present evidence of what will maintain pipeline safety to the agencies.

Eastman: I am a co-chairman for the Local Distribution Company Risk Assessment Feasibility Team, which is composed of DOT, State, Industry, and American Gas Association representatives. It’s obvious that future regulation will require gas transmission and distribution companies to know more about the condition of their pipeline systems, and the systems designed to ensure their safety, integrity, and reliability. The bar is already being raised through local audits, but I feel that regulation is going to require integrity management programs and risk management programs. In terms of CP, pipeline companies are going to be encouraged and/or required in the future to quantitatively know the level of protection on a pipeline, versus “estimating” it based on qualitative means. Future regulation will likely address the issue of pigging, specifically where and when pigging is recommended in the absence of other compelling data.

Question 6. What is the most critical issue(s) you will face concerning pipeline corrosion prevention in the next decade and throughout the new century? Will this (these) issues increase or decrease in importance as other developments take hold? Why?

Gundry: As our natural resources shrink and the cost of materials increase, our companies will hold the corrosion-control personnel accountable to an ever-increasing degree. Transporters of liquid products will see environmental cleanup costs run into the millions. Regulatory pressure from the environmental side will continue to increase. The most critical issue facing the corrosion control professional is to weather these trends with fewer staff. The pressure for increased corrosion control will intensify. We will have to rely on new technologies rather than increase staff.
Fitzgerald: Safety and pollution control will be major issues. Leaks can be dangerous. In the liquid pipeline industry they can be dangerous and cause pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency has a low tolerance for leaks on underground tanks, and I’m certain we’ll see similar low tolerance for product leaks. The public will be concerned over safety, and thus the prevention of gas and other hazardous material leaks will become more and more important. This means that corrosion-control departments will be even more important in the future.

Parker: I think the most crucial issue over the next decade or century will be the decision by company directors and shareholders as to the operation of pipeline systems. Pipeline asset preservation is definitely the best option for shareholders. Installing the system is the largest cost. Maintaining it is small in comparison.

Eastman: I would probably say old pipelines with degraded coated systems, coupled with other concerns such as interference, is the primary concern right now. At some point the miles of pipeline that will require rehabilitation may financially exceed what the average customer will be willing to pay. CP improvements, coupled with integrity assessment methodologies such as smart pigging, will be required to ensure continued pipeline safety and reliability. Managing these issues in the future will require integrated data management systems and comprehensive risk management programs.

Boreman: The aging of our pipeline systems will be the most critical issue facing corrosion-control managers in the future. The issue will increase in importance as pipelines age, the urban population continues to grow, and the need for increased reliable sources of energy exists. In the natural gas distribution area, progress continues in the use of plastic (PE) piping at higher pressures (greater than 100 psi) for new and replacement installations. Continued development of new and better electrical survey tools, scanning methods and computer software is necessary to evaluate the condition of our underground piping systems.

NACE International is preparing for CORROSION/2000, scheduled for March 26-31, 2000, in Orlando, Florida. For more information, check the www.NACE.org