Predictive Corrosion Management Technology

One of the rising trends in O&G the concept of digital oilfield, reducing production downtime and improving efficiency of previously unmetered processes.

Notably, one of the areas of digital oilfield gaining the strongest traction amongst companies in the sector is predictive analytics, proven to dramatically reduce maintenance related downtime across a broad scope of assets and infrastructure. Now, two companies within the O&G field are teaming up to bring another type of predictive technology to the market.

SGS, a Swiss company providing a variety of support services for companies, and Baker Hughes, an American GE-owned industrial services company, have joined forces to deploy a Predictive Corrosion Management (PCM) solution based on software and sensors with intent to commercialise. The main objective of the PCM is to allow companies with tangible assets to better monitor their facilities and enable them to use real-time data to not only detect, but also predict, any corrosion issues. The data will be gathered by ultrasonic sensing technology and supported by advanced analytics.

Corrosion is a persistent problem for the O&G industry. In circumstances where water, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide are present and where microbiological activity can further aggravate surrounding materials, corrosion can cause ongoing damage to pipelines, refineries and petrochemical plants. While corrosion can be prevented to some extent, adding an extra layer of detection and prediction will play an important role in ensuring the operators do not incur unnecessary expenses or expose themselves to leaks or impure liquids.

While alone this PCM would not be enough to fully manage and preserve the assets, it is an extremely useful addition. The PCM could be completed and supplemented by other systems or products, such as Dashboard’s LIMPET which provides continuous monitoring of pipelines at a long-distance, incorporating the knowledge and skills of our innovative team. To this extent, we can see the PCM working together with other solutions of the field to tackle problems for various assets and overall prolonging their life cycle.