Protecting Against Corrosion in Offshore Pipelines

As you well know, corrosion is one of the biggest enemies of the oil and gas pipeline industry. It is a significant threat when working with underwater pipelines. Although advancements have been made in the last few years with technology like corrosion-resistant alloys, companies have often found that it’s not enough. If other measures are not taken, companies will continue to spend valuable resources maintaining a pipeline that has failed.

Problems with Corrosion

Some estimates indicate that up to 50% of underwater pipeline failures occur because of corrosion. However, many in the oil and gas pipeline industry feel that it’s most cost-effective to take a risk and potentially have to repair a pipeline that has failed versus investing heavily in costly corrosion control systems.

It also appears that corrosion could soon become increasingly more troublesome for the industry.Nearly half of the platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are over two decades old. Within the next decade, over half of the world’s oil rigs will be older than 30 years.

Submar Mats Can Help

Submar is a company that’s been serving the oil and gas industry for over two decades. They have considerable experience protecting pipelines from erosion, corrosion, and other similar problems.

Currently, they are the only concrete mat manufacturer that offers non-shielded PVC pads. These pads prevent interference with pipelines while allowing cathodic protection to function as designed. The pads are affordable and are a minimal investment compared with the costs of having to fix a subsea pipeline.

Not only are there losses that come from having to shut down a line, but there are extensive repair costs. Engineering an underwater pipeline repair is expensive, and that doesn’t account for the cost of having to rent equipment like offshore vessels. Companies can help cut down on these costs by investing in pipeline maintenance and installing Submar mats.