The Value of a Corrosion Management System – in 500 Words or Less

A few years back, NACE International and the NACE Institute (now the Association for Materials Protection and Performance following combining with SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings) conducted extensive research to determine best corrosion management practices throughout organizations that would ensure safer, long-lasting protection of assets such as pipelines; increase return on investment (ROI) while decreasing life cycle costs; and preserve the environment.

The International Measures of Prevention, Application, and Economics of Corrosion Technologies (IMPACT) Study assessed global corrosion management practices, and a resultant tool from the study, IMPACT PLUS, allows organizations to assess where they are and develop a roadmap for improving their corrosion management programs. 

Shortly following the release of the two-year-long study, three experts in oil and gas pipeline corrosion management explained to NACE’s Materials Performance magazine the value of employing a corrosion management system (CMS) in that industry.

Gerry Koch, DNV GL

The greatest benefit, in my opinion, is that with a properly implemented corrosion management program, corrosion decisions and practices can be integrated within an organizational management system. The organization as a whole must commit to the ownership of the CMS and its processes, which means that buy-in at all levels of the organization must exist (i.e., buy-in at both the top and bottom of the organization). Once everyone is “on board” and corrosion has become a culture within the organization, corrosion control and management can be treated as an investment rather than merely an expense, and proper appropriation of funding can be made. This allows the optimization of corrosion management maintaining the integrity of assets while achieving a high ROI.

Dr. Koch is Senior Principal Engineer in the Pipeline Department at DNV GL (US) in Columbus, Ohio.  His work focuses on corrosion and asset integrity management.  A NACE Fellow, he has published over 90 technical papers, co-authored four books, and holds one patent.

David Kroon, Aegion Corporation

The greatest value is to reap the full financial benefit of compliance with corrosion control and asset integrity regulations while operating in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

The IMPACT Study was published by NACE International in 2016. The global cost of corrosion was researched and estimated to be $2.5 trillion, or 3.4% of the GDP by country. Most important was that it was demonstrated that 15 to 35% of the cost of corrosion could be saved using currently available corrosion control technologies and practices. Unlike some of the earlier cost of corrosion studies, this work included an evaluation of industry best practices for managing corrosion to reduce operating costs and enhance safety and environmental protection. For the oil and gas pipeline industry, the application of sound corrosion management principles can significantly reduce costs. One of the key areas to address are performance indicators to measure the financial impact of corrosion management. Operational data analysis and corrosion management over the life of the asset are essential.

David H. Kroon, P.E. is Chief Technical Officer for Aegion Corporation in Houston, Texas. He has over 47 years of experience in corrosion prevention and asset integrity management in the oil and gas industry.  Throughout his career, he has been actively engaged in solving corrosion problems and extending the life of infrastructure for the energy, water, and transportation industries. 

Michael Ames, Chapman Engineering

In my experience, most pipeline companies have well-developed corrosion procedures that enable their work staff in the field to control corrosion. For the most part, these procedures are intended to not only protect their assets, but also to meet or exceed regulations concerning pipeline safety both for gas or liquid pipelines. However, for many there is little or no extension of these procedural links to other departments of the company. There are missing opportunities to involve every part of the company to understand their impact to pipeline safety and corrosion management. This is a part of a “silo” mentality in that other parts of the company do not know how they may impact corrosion management, as it has never been discussed or explained. Even essential links such as the engineering/construction groups may not have direct connection with operations and technical management in the important aspects of each group’s involvement in the life cycle implications of corrosion management of the assets they all touch. IMPACT PLUS and specifically, its Corrosion Management Maturity Model (CMMM) clearly shows those links and provides tools to connect them together into the important wholistic approach to a mature corrosion management mode.

Michael Ames has worked in pipeline corrosion control and operations for over 40 years, creating internal and external corrosion management programs. He served with Northern Natural Gas for more than 34 years. Currently Vice President of Chapman Engineering in Boerne, Texas, he has worked with the U.S. DOT, PHMSA, and state agencies in rulemaking, guidance document preparation, and regulatory audit protocols.

Read the study that broke new ground in corrosion management here. Learn of tools that can help you map a path to corrosion management and asset sustainability.

Source: Excerpted from an article originally published in the March 2019 issue of Pipeline & Gas Journal and appeared in Materials Performance.  

FREE DOWNLOADS

White Paper: An Action Plan for Reducing Pipeline Failures, Costs with Corrosion in the Water Sector

Special Report: The Future of Corrosion Control, Insights from the Experts