Offshore-Platform Startup Challenges: Materials Integrity and Remediation

Authors Sudhakar P.V. Mahajanam and Mike W. Joosten, ConocoPhillips, Production Assurance Technology

Journal SPE Projects, Facilities & Construction

Volume Volume 6, Number 1 Date March  2011

Pages pp. 13-20 Copyright 2011. Society of Petroleum Engineers

Preview Summary

Offshore oil- and gas-production environments provide severe challenges in terms of materials selection and day-to-day operations. Several issues encountered during commissioning of a North Sea platform and the remedial actions are presented.

Corrosion protection of carbon-steel bolting by encapsulation was employed to stop deterioration of an improperly applied anodic coating.

Insulated SS instrument tubing was susceptible to crevice corrosion and chloride stress corrosion cracking (Cl-SCC) under wet insulation at the temperatures generated by the heat tracing. Solutions were suggested to minimize such forms of corrosion.

Coatings exceeding the manufacturer's recommended thickness had been applied to several high-temperature vessels and to pipework to prevent SCC as well as ferric chloride pitting. The potential for coating disbondment at elevated temperatures because of high dry-film thickness (DFT) was evaluated through a testing program and on-site inspections.