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The High Cost of Corrosion in the Offshore Oil & Gas Industry

What is corrosion costing you?

Of all the factors that contribute to a failure in offshore oil and gas structures, corrosion is the worst.

In fact, the total annual cost of corrosion in the oil and gas production industry is estimated to be $1.372 billion.

According to ODEE, an oil & gas industry journal, as offshore exploration moves into deeper and more hostile waters, so the potential impact of corrosion increases. The greater difficulty of maintaining components in increasingly remote and challenging environments requires the need for extended component life. Components that have enhanced resistance to the effects of corrosion are now essential as they increase service life and reduce the need for costly maintenance.

Splash zone protection: coated risers (left) vs. unprotected risers (right)

Corrosion Cost Facts

These facts may explain why corrosion is so costly.

  • 5 metric tons of steel disintegrate every second worldwide.
  • 40% of all produced steel is used to replace corroded steel.
  • 60% of the world offshore fleet is past its theoretical design age of 20 years, 6,000 of which are stationary platforms that cannot be moved.
  • Offshore maintenance is 15 - 20 times more costly than performing work at a yard.
  • Corrosion can account for 60% of offshore maintenance costs.
  • At least a portion of the cost can be attributed to coating failure.

(Source: Corrosion protection and the cost of failure -- click to download)

Splash Zone Corrosion

Of the areas where oil & gas drilling platforms could experience corrosion, splash zones - the part of the structure that is alternately in and out of the water due to changing tides, winds, and sea - are perhaps the most susceptible.

Several factors contribute to corrosion including water salinity, temperature, oxygen content, velocity, resistivity, and chemistry. Variations in tides, accompanied by the constant barrage of waves and wind, can cause damage to structural and mechanical components.

Benefits of Corrosion Management

It is widely recognized within the oil and gas industry that effective management of corrosion will contribute towards achieving the following benefits:

  • Statutory or corporate compliance with Safety, Health and Environmental policies
  • Increased plant availability
  • Reduction in unplanned maintenance
  • Reduction in deferment costs

SplashTRON® as a Corrosion Deterrent

That's where SplashTRON® can help. It is a bonded-on elastomer that provides permanent metal protection for splash zone problems such as corrosion, wave action, moisture, oxygen, and sea life. It offers excellent resistance to weathering, fungus, marine life, and most oils.

We apply SplashTRON® in our plant in Garden City, Louisiana (near Franklin), in California, and in Japan, to pipe of practically any length and diameter.

We also manufacture SplashTRON® sleeves which can be applied in the field and used where more than one joint of pipe is needed for splash zone protection, as in J-tube pulls.

Corrosion, while inevitable, can be inhibited by the application of coating solutions like SplashTRON® to extend the service life of components and control maintenance costs.

Taking steps during the product finishing stage can lessen the risk and harmful effects of corrosion and enhance performance and longevity.

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