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Petroquímica de Venezuela, S.A.
Apartado 159, Maracaibo
Venezuela
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This article describes the results of the 5-year cathodic protection maintenance program for the
underground and submerged structures on a Petrochemical Complex. It shows the protection coverage
before the program started, the progress at the first year, the results after the program had been
implemented, diagnostic and troubleshooting methodology, experiences in anode retrofitting, installation
of new systems, and corrective actions for attaining efficient cathodic protection systems.

The main actions taken were pipe-to-soil potential surveys at six month intervals, impressed
current and sacrificial anode current measurements, two-month rectifier monitoring and electric circuits
inspection, troubleshooting, rehabilitation of systems out of operation, and a 5-year project for design
and construction of new required systems.

The excellent results obtained permit the conclusion that only a conscious cathodic protection
maintenance program can provide optimal performance of the CP systems and continuous safe and
efficient operation of all the installations of the Complex have improved cost effectiveness for the
company.

Keywords: Cathodic Protection, Predictive Maintenance Program, Corrective Actions,

Petrochemical Complex.
 


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One of the Complexes of the Petrochemical Company of Venezuela (PEQUIVEN) operates at
the eastern coast of Maracaibo Lake in Venezuela. The Complex El Tablazo includes a great variety of
plants such as Natural Gas Processing, Olefins, Ammonium, Urea, MVC, PVC, Chlorine, Caustic Soda
and Facility Services. In 1995 the total production of the Complex was 2.5 million tons of different
products; including: Ethylene, Propylene, EDC, MVC, PVC, Polypropylene, Raw Materials for Plastics,
Ammonium, Urea, Chlorine, Hydrochloric Acid, Sodium Hypochlorite and Caustic Soda.
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‘ Since the starting date of the different plants of the Complex, the structures submerged in
Maracaibo Lake, the underground pipelines and the above ground storage tank bottoms have cathodic
protection systems. These systems have been evaluated using potential measurements every two years.
Before the annual cathodic protection maintenance program and the retrofitting of inoperating systems
were implemented in 1991, only 54% of the total test locations attained a negative (cathodic) voltage of
at least 850mV (Cu/CuSO4), with the protective current applied.

At present, the Complex has 55 impressed current systems with an installed capacity of 3000
amperes to protect underground piping, aboveground storage tanks bottoms, sheet piling; and sacrificial
aluminum anodes for the steel piles of the solids and liquids handling docks and magnesium anodes for
isolated pipeline crossings around the Complex.

The first step of the program, by early 1991, consisted of: a field study and diagnostic tests of all
the systems, evaluating the electrical characteristics of the rectifiers, measuring potentials of all the
structures, and current measurements of impressed current anodes. Based on this evaluation, in a second
phase, the detailed engineering of new systems along with the implementation of the predictive
maintenance program were generated.

The third phase consisted of a program for: rehabilitation of deteriorated systems, the retrofitting
of existing systems with proved deficiencies, and the installation of new systems to achieve adequate
levels of cathodic protection in all the structures. After this phase, in 1995, the potential survey was
made and the data showed an important improvement of protection coverage; over 95% of the 2500 test
locations exceeded -850mV (CSE). Also, an exhaustive evaluation of possible interference currents in
foreign structures near our own systems was implemented in the last year.

The operative reliability of these cathodic protection systems only could be afforded with a
continuous predictive and corrective maintenance program, which resulted in a significant improvement
of the protection coverage obtained over the last years it has been implemented. Such a program
represents important direct and indirect costs savings to the company. This article summarizes the
results of that cathodic protection predictive and corrective maintenance program.
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Our Petrochemical Complex has many different underground and submerged structures which
are protected with coatings and cathodic protection to avoid damage or leaks as a result of the corrosion
attack. Among these are gas pipelines, potable, cooling and fire water lines, aboveground storage tank
bottoms of diesel, water, ethylene and propylene tanks, sheet piling and carbon steel piles in solid and
liquids handling docks. We also have underground stainless steel pipelines for demineralized water
service protected with magnesium anodes.
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‘ The sheet piling for the cooling water system has the biggest capacity of all the installed cathodic
protection systems of the Complex. The water side of this structure, was initially protected with
platinized niobium anodes, but this system was discarded because very high current densities were used
and all the anodes experienced failures. Then, high-silicon cast iron distributed anodes were installed
along the structure in the water and soil sides with excellent results in its useful life.‘‘
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In order to have a data base of soil resistivities within the Complex, we have conducted extensive
resistivity measurements within the plants and between their limits. In the case that drilled holes were
made for soil studies, we have taken samples to measure its resistivity in a soil box. That permitted us to
construct an isoresistivity plot for the Complex that is very valuable for the retrofitting and new design
of CP systems.

In Table 1 we have included the statistical resistivity data values in our area of interest; we can
observe that, in general, the resistivity of the soils at the 1-2 m depth is in the order of 1000-2500 Ohm-
cm, which shows the high corrosivity towards the underground metallic structures. At a deeper stratum,
the resistivity maintains low levels favorable to impressed current systems.
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In Table 2 we have included the soil and marsh water average chemical composition. Here it can
be seen that from the point of view of water and soil corrosion, the structures are exposed to aggressive
conditions. In order to correlate the resistivity of soils with its corrosivity we started in 1995 a program
of coupons installed in the field and in the laboratory.

The water characteristics of the Electrical Power Plant cooling water system shows it to be
aggressive. This is salty water of Maracaibo Lake that in our area has a resistivity in the order of 80 to
120 Ohm-cm. It has been established that the corrosion of these waters is one of the highest of the world
for marsh waters (1). The cathodic protection of the water side of sheet piles of the intake water canal is
of critical priority because of the high levels of corrosion.
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‘ The criteria of protection we have established is -850 mV (CSE). In those areas that we have
found Sulphate-Reducting-Bacteria, the criteria is -950 mV (CSE) or more negative potential.

Because of the congested area and for better understanding, the data was statistically grouped by
area of influence of the cathodic protection systems and not by protected structures; only in the cases of
suspected interference did we conducted a comprehensive survey of close interval potentials. The
method of organizing the results with the preparation of a table of ³frequency distribution´ provides
information on the general nature of the potential population (2).

The potential measurements (samples) were taken on the underground or submerged structures,
then the individual results were separated into a number of groups with a spread of 50 mV. The
frequency is the number of results in each group of rates; from this frequency table, a bar group is
constructed, a ³histogram´ in which each bar represents the number of times that a given range of rates
was encountered.

As an example we have included the statistical data of potentials for the Olefins Plant in
September 1991 and October 1993; these results are shown in Figure 1. This way of data presentation
permits us to visualize easily the cathodic protection systems performance in each area of influence.
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‘ The first question we have to answer is how to establish operational priorities to give the most
attention to the critical areas, that is the areas without protection. This was accomplished as shown in
the flow chart in the Figure 2. The data gathered in this step are used to better schedule the inspection
and maintenance field activities.
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This program is mainly based on a continuous field survey of parameters, whose activities and
frequencies are shown in Table 3. Because of the two seasons in our latitude location, dry and rain, we
have determined that two potential surveys in the year (about 2500 potential measurements each) is the
optimum frequency for these measurements; this frequency permits us to adjust the rectifiers according
to the variance of resistivity. The most recommended frequency for rectifiers to ensure a continuous
operation is two-month monitoring.

For the anode current output, we have determined that a six-month frequency is optimal for
predictive actions purposes. With this maintenance program we have achieved very good results in the
recuperation of systems otherwise out of operation because of underground cable failures. If those
problems were not corrected, other anodes in the system can suffer accelerated consumption due to
overdrainage of current.

The maintenance program have permitted us to diagnose and schedule the activities needed to
retrofit the systems with problems, design new required systems, and upgrade the increasing current
capacity due to coating deterioration and because new construction facilities in the Complex. In that
order of ideas, we started with a recuperation of systems out of operation due to equipment and cable
failures. It is important to note that one of the principal cause of failure was due to inadequate
connections between the header cable and the anode cable.

The next step was to evaluate the groundbeds that have arrived at the end of their useful life and
we scheduled a plan to retrofit them in a very short time. Finally, due to the expansion projects in the
petrochemical field in our country, new plants have been constructed that needed cathodic protection
systems being incorporated into the predictive maintenance program.
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In our case, when designing a retrofit cathodic protection system, the structure is already
polarized and costs savings can be afforded if actual current density values can be employed, that is,
actual applied current divided by the total surface area of structures. This knowledge and the actual
protection potentials allow us to determine real current densities needed for the congested piping
network to design the retrofitting of anode groundbeds.

An initial field study involving traditional techniques indicated that rehabilitation would be
needed in some systems and new distributed semi-deep anodebeds were designed. The real current
density values significantly increased the retrofit requirements. The main reason for this was that the new
structures installed during the expansion projects were incorporated to existing CP systems without
prevision for cathodic protection. The real high current densities used in design were later verified when
the adequate levels of protection have been achieved in the most of the systems.

Once the data required to complete the design was available, a spreadsheet template was
prepared to assist in the design according to the computer program developed by K. W. Nicholas (3).‘
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‘ Figure 3 shows the improvement of protection coverage from the diagnostic phase in 1991 to
1995. As can be seen in this figure, in 1991, 54% of the 2500 test locations exceeded -850mV (CSE)
with the protective current applied, including areas of no protection at all. As long as, in 1995, over 95%
of the test locations met the cathodic protection criteria established at our Petrochemical Complex.

In this Figure it should also be noted that once the program was implemented, in the first year
1992, the protection coverage have increased to 66% . In this first phase the main action taken was to
recuperate systems out of service because of cable failures; most of the failures having occurred in the
split connection between the header cable and the anodes.

In 1993 three new rectifiers and groundbeds were installed in the Olefins Plant (4) and when we
started the predictive cathodic protection system, the cathodic protection coverage increased to 84% of
the test locations. After retrofitting with new groundbeds in three existing systems and the recuperation
of one groundbed in the Lake, we have achieved 90% of effective protection in 1994 and 95% in 1995,
as can be noted in Figure 3.

At the present, we continue with the implemented program and have started a phase to:
determine the possibility of stray current interference corrosion caused by a lower resistance path
through the soil, avoid unprotected areas due to shielding effects, improve current distribution in all
submerged or buried structures, and consider IR drop voltages for the protective potential
measurements.‘
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‘‘ Implementing the described program has decreased the cost of corrosion control, with important
cost savings, and has maximized the in-service lifetime of CP systems that otherwise would be
inoperable if repair actions were not taken.
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‘ The 5-year predictive and corrective program (1991-1995) has permitted us to improve the
protection coverage of the underground and submerged structures from 54% to 95% of the 2500 test
locations exceeding -850mV (CSE) adopted CP criteria. Basically the program consisted of a primary
diagnostic, corrective actions, and an annual predictive maintenance program that have extended the
average service life of CP systems.

The annual predictive program basically consists of a bi-monthly inspection of rectifiers, six-
month interval measurements of potentials and anode drainage currents, and annual verification of
cathodic circuits, negative and positive distribution boxes and isolation devices.

The major technical problem to be overcome at this stage of the program is to evaluate
interference electrical currents. Work is therefore continuing with the objective to identifying possible
interfering currents along the structures and improve current distribution. In the longer term, more
emphasis will be placed on these areas.

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‘ The author gratefully acknowledges the Petroquimica de Venezuela, S.A. (PEQUIVEN) for their
financial support and permission to publish the information contained in this article.
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1.‘ R.L. Benedict, Statistics of a Large Corrosion Control Program in Lake Maracaibo, Materials
Performance 28, 5(1989): p.18.
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2.‘ Boffardi and H. P. Godard, Practical Application of Statistics, Part I, Materials Performance 28,
9(1989): p. 71.
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3.‘ K.W.Nicholas, Designing Cathodic Protection Systems using Electronic Spreadsheets, Materials
Performance 25, 9(1986): p. 25.
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4.‘ A. Martinez and E. Gudiño, ³Cathodic Protection Design using the Regression and Correlation
Method´, to be presented at the NACE Corrosion 97, New Orleans.