The corrosion management implementation process comprises three phases: the pre­-implementation phase, the implementation phase, and the post-implementation phase.While the foremost implementation issue currently is not implementing or carrying out the corrosion management process at all, any possible issue or shortcoming pertaining to the process could be associated with any of the three phases.

The following will focus on issues associated with the first phase in the corrosion management process, the pre-implementation phase, the foundation for program success.

1. Scope of Work Shortcomings

Any shortcomings with respect to the work’s scope, such as ambiguities or erroneous instructions, specifications, requirements, and prerequisites would produce a defective, inefficient, incomplete, or erroneous corrosion management implementation process and outcome. Typical shortcomings or problematic issues associated with the scope of work could include the following:

• Unclear or vague work or project physical boundary

• Unclear system(s) or equipment inclusion or exclusion statements or specifications

• Ambiguous description of the work to be carried out

Any other similar poor and inadequate information, instructions, clarifications, or drawings could also further render the scope of work less transparent, clear, and practical. It would then adversely affect the whole corrosion management implementation process and its outcome.

2. Lack of or Inadequate Management Support

One of the crucial prerequisites for any successful corrosion management implementation process is the allocation of the appropriate required resources by management. Any shortcomings in the provision of the required resources could lead to an incomplete and ineffective implementation process. It is of paramount importance that adequate corrosion management awareness training be provided for the relevant senior management, so they would realize and fully appreciate the significance of the corrosion management implementation process and its potential benefits. Field observation has demonstrated, for various cases, the utter failure of the intended implementation process when management was not engaged from the beginning.

3. Lack of or Inadequate Site Personnel Training or Competency

The implementation process is always carried out with the help, support, and cooperation of the site personnel. Therefore, prior to any implementation, adequate corrosion management training should be provided to the pertinent site personnel. Any possible shortcomings associated with site personnel (corrosion management) training could simply derail the entire implementation process. Past field experience has shown that when prior training is not provided for the relevant personnel, the implementation process would not go far and would achieve very little, if at all.

4. Lack of or Unreliable Data

One of the major issues associated with some implementation processes is the lack of sufficient input data or the inclusion of unreliable data and information. Lack of certain crucial data could almost totally stall the implementation process, while the provision of unreliable data could lead to the generation of erroneous outputs (e.g., corrosion rates and risk levels) and subsequent conclusions.

5. Inadequate Team Structure and Job Descriptions

The corrosion management implementation process is a team exercise where every participating individual should be fully aware of their relevant responsibility within the team. Any possible lack of inadequate team structure and/or job descriptions would often lead to task or activity overlap or partial or total oversight of certain responsibilities, leading to a poor or incomplete implementation process.

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Source: materialperformance.com; written by Ali LI Morshed, consulting corrosion engineer and author of An Introduction of Asset Corrosion Management in the Oil and Gas Industry, An Introduction to Corrosion Management In Industry, and A Complete Guide to Corrosion Management Implementation. Purchase titles at the AMPP Store.

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