INTERNAL CORROSION MONITORING IN NATURAL GAS PIPELINES

E. H. S. Cavalcanti, T. S. Villela, J. M. Silva, (National Institute of Technology INT - Corrosion and Protection Division Rio de Janeiro/RJ Brazil), G. S. Pimenta, J. C. Cobucci, P. A. Ferreira (PETROBRAS / CENPES Rio de Janeiro/RJ Brazil) Abstract
The use of natural gas as a fuel has been an attractive alternative in both economic and environmental perspectives. Natural gas pipelines show usually low internal corrosion rates. Hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, water and other contaminants are removed to specified limits during processing stage to assure quality and safe use of natural gas to customers. Nevertheless, the presence of contaminants dissolved in condensed water can result in internal corrosion processes (ICP), production losses and equipment damage. In order to assess ICP, the use of corrosion monitoring techniques has been extensively studied and improved. Electrical resistance probes and weight loss coupons have been successfully used, fitted in specific points of the pipelines where corrosion is mostly expected, to monitor corrosion progress. Corrosion rates are expected to be higher in bottom-of-the-line (BOL-six o'clock position) where condensed water flows by gravity. But depending on gas velocity different flow patterns can be encountered and top-of-theline (TOL-twelve o'clock position) corrosion is also found. When gas velocity is high the flow pattern is usually annular. At very high velocities and low liquid contents, a mist flow can be achieved. The stratified is more common when gas velocities are lower. This work presents the first approach and results of internal corrosion monitoring in a specific Brazilian natural gas pipeline using electrical resistance probes placed at three selected TOL sites of a 357 km length, API 5LX 65 steel, 16" nominal diameter natural gas pipeline.

Internal Corrosion Monitoring

Natural gas is a safe, economic, non-toxic product and its physical and chemical property allows it to be a high quality fuel, when free of impurities such as CO2, H2S, water and oxygen. The presence of these compounds in natural gas not only reduce power recovery and production losses but may induce internal corrosion processes, which can result in equipment damage and even accidents. These processes take place when residual water even in low limits of specification condense inside the pipelines. Contaminant gases tend to dissolve in BOL relatively stagnant regions forming a localized acid zone. Once in contact with the metal ICP can occur. In order to try to understand the effects caused by the eventual presence of contaminants in natural gas, electrical resistance probes are usually inserted in selected points of natural gas pipeline which water is expected to condense. The electrical measurements are converted to corrosion rate, and so it is possible to evaluate internal corrosion processes. Water is expected to condense in lower parts of pipeline, for example at points of drops of pressure that leads to consequent drop of temperature. Even the lowest contents of water may condense. The exact point which water is probable to condense can vary according to the pipeline and flow patterns. Gas velocity depends on consumer needs. At very high velocities and low liquid contents, a mist flow can be achieved at low gas velocities the stratified flow is more common1. In theory corrosion can occur both in TOL and BOL. Most of published data rely on corrosion rates measurements in BOL regions.

Y.H. Sun, T. Hong, W.P. Jepson, "Corrosion under Wet Gas Conditions", Corrosion 2001, NACE paper No. 01034.

In this work, however, three electrical resistance probes were flush mounted at the TOL in tree different points of a natural gas pipeline, as ICP have been claimed to occur at these sites. The probes were connected to a logger, which is programmed to take measurements for a specified period of time, in this case each 4 or 3 hours. The natural gas pipeline main features are: 357 km length, API 5LX 65 steel, 16" nominal diameter, operating with 40 Kg/cm2 and at 25C. A CorrOcean monitoring system was used. All measurements were stored by the logger. The data was recovered after several months by MultiCorr MKII instrument and then transferred to the computer and plotted. The following graphics (figures 1 to 3) show the results of corrosion rate (mm/y) taken from electrical resistance measurements.
mm/y 0.10 0.08 0.06 0.04

Corrosion Rate

0.02 0.00 -0.02 -0.04 -0.06 -0.08 -0.10 Mar 01 Apr 01 May 01 Jun 01 Jul 01 Aug 01 Sep 01 Oct 01 Nov 01 Dec 01 Jan 02 Feb 02 Mar 02 01/02/2001 to 05/03/2002

Figure 1 - Measurement Point 1

ER REDUC Corrosion Rate (mm/y)
mm/y 0.10 0.08 0.06 0.04

MultiTrend for Windows 1997 CorrOcean ASA

Corrosion Rate

0.02 0.00 -0.02 -0.04 -0.06 -0.08 -0.10 Mar 01 Apr 01 May 01 Jun 01 Jul 01 Aug 01 Sep 01 Oct 01 Nov 01 Dec 01 Jan 02 Feb 02 Mar 02 31/01/2001 to 11/03/2002

Figure 2 - Measurement Point 2

ER ESTAP Corrosion Rate (mm/y) MultiTrend for Windows 1997 CorrOcean ASA

mm/y 0.10 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.00 -0.02 -0.04 -0.06 -0.08 Feb 01

Corrosion Rate

Mar 01

Apr 01

May 01

Jun 01

Jul 01

Aug 01

Sep 01

Oct 01

Nov 01

Dec 01

Jan 02

Feb 02

31/01/2001 to 26/02/2002

Figure 3 - Measurement Point 3

ER BETIM Corrosion Rate (mm/y)

The results showed very low corrosion rates in all the three points of measurement, suggesting that MultiTrend sites. Irrespective of these results, considerable amount corrosion process was not intense at these for Windows 1997 CorrOcean ASA of corrosion products known as "black powder" was found present in the pipeline. Black powder has been removed during cleaning pigging practice so as to assure the quality of natural gas. Cyclones and filters were also present in the pipeline for this purpose. Usually internal corrosion rate monitoring of natural gas pipelines takes very long time, depending on the pipeline operational features (usually six months minimum collection time is required). Although the present corrosion rate data show that corrosion process is relatively low, the relatively large amount of black powder suggests the incidence of intense corrosion processes somewhere in the pipeline. The present results also showed that measurements should not only be taken at TOL to avoid misleading conclusions, but both in BOL and TOL, in order to have a more complete understanding of the incidence of ICP. Perhaps, the position and location for the monitoring sensors should be changed. A better idea about what is going on in this specific natural gas pipeline will be obtained after the in-line inspection using smart pig, which is scheduled to this specific natural pipeline sooner.

Conclusions
TOL monitoring measurements gave very low corrosion rate results at all the positions selected. A considerable content of corrosion products (black-powder) was however found in the pipeline, suggesting that internal corrosion processes (ICP) were taking place either localized at the bottom of the pipeline (BOL) or restricted to just some miles of the pipe. Both BOL and TOL positioning of monitoring probes are recommended for a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. A scheduled smart pig run will give a better idea and a deeper insight into the situation.

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank PETROBRAS for allowing for this research to be possible and also to the: Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), National Agency of Petroleum (ANP) and to National Agency of Projects (FINEP) for the financial support Grant No. 65.00.000.17 (CTPETRO Sectorial Oil and Gas Fund).