Corrosion Risk Analysis, Risk based Inspection and a Case Study Concerning a Condensate Pipeline

Corrosion is a major environmental deterioration phenomenon in chemical process industries affecting the life of process equipment and pipelines resulting in leakage, product loss, environmental pollution and loss of life. The overall risk associated with corrosion cracking in terms of its likely possibilities and its consequences to the plant and environment need to be addressed while designing the plant and before commencing regular operation. Corrosion risk analysis results should be used to formulate risk based inspection (RBI) procedures that should be a part of the plant operation. RBI concentrates inspection resources more on ‘High Risk’ and ‘Medium Risk’ assets and less on ‘Low Risk’ equipment. This paper gives two case studies dealing with oil and gas pipelines, preceded by a summary of the basic principles and procedures of corrosion risk assessment and RBI applicable to the Process Industries.