Internal corrosion hazard assessment of oil & gas pipelines using Bayesian belief network model

A substantial amount of oil & gas products are transported and distributed via pipelines, which can stretch for thousands of kilometers. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, alone there are over 40,000 km of pipelines currently being operated. Because of the adverse environmental impact, public outrage and significant financial losses, the integrity of the pipelines is essential. More than 37 pipe failures per year occur in BC causing liquid spills and gas releases, damaging both property and environment. BC oil & gas commission (BCOGS) has indicated metal loss due to internal corrosion as one of the primary causes of these failures. Therefore, it is of a paramount importance to timely identify pipelines subjected to severe internal corrosion in order to improve corrosion mitigation and pipeline maintenance strategies, thus minimizing the likelihood of failure. To accomplish this task, this paper presents a Bayesian belief network (BBN)-based probabilistic internal corrosion hazard assessment approach for oil & gas pipelines. A cause-effect BBN model has been developed by considering various information, such as analytical corrosion models, expert knowledge and published literature. Multiple corrosion models and failure pressure models have been incorporated into a single flexible network to estimate corrosion defects and associated probability of failure (PoF). This paper also explores the influence of fluid composition and operating conditions on the corrosion rate and PoF. To demonstrate the application of the BBN model, a case study of the Northeastern BC oil & gas pipeline infrastructure is presented. Based on the pipeline's mechanical characteristics and operating conditions, spatial and probabilistic distributions of corrosion defect and PoF have been obtained and visualized with the aid of the Geographic Information System (GIS). The developed BBN model can identify vulnerable pipeline sections and rank them accordingly to enhance the informed decision-making process.     

A mathematical model of crevice corrosion for buried pipeline with disbonded coatings under cathodic protection

Crevice corrosion occurs in a holiday and disbonded region between coating and pipeline steel. Cathodic protection (CP) is generally recognized as the most effective method for corrosion prevention of pipeline, but its effectiveness may be reduced at defects in a disbonded coating. It is difficult to measure and probe corrosion parameters accurately based on experimental work. Therefore, a mathematical model is necessary to identify the phenomena and mechanisms that contribute to the crevice corrosion process. In this work, a mathematical model was developed to determine the evolution of chemical and electrochemical transient processes of crevice corrosion in NaCl dilute solution, and the effect of cathodic protection and crevice width on corrosion of 20# steel pipeline with disbonded coatings. Results have demonstrated that the extent of crevice corrosion depends on the crevice geometry and could be influenced by the increase of crevice depth and decrease of its width. The oxygen concentrations drop significantly inside a crevice whether CP is applied or not and whether crevice width decreased or not. The pH values and conductivity of crevice solution increase with the time. The research provides a theoretical foundation for cathodic protection of pipelines and establishes an effective corrosion model which can identify the phenomena and mechanisms of the crevice corrosion process. This work could be used to help mitigate the corrosion failure of pipelines to prevent catastrophic accidents in oil, gas and chemical process industries.     

The influence of impurities on the transportation safety of an anthropogenic CO2 pipeline

Transportation safety is a key aspect of carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is a major technology used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Supercritical CO₂ pipelines have been certified as an optimised choice for CO₂ transportation. The results of this study show that the Peng–Robinson (PR) equation of state is recommended for analysis of the properties of supercritical CO₂. The influence of nonpolar and polar impurities on the two-phase region and the location of the sharp discontinuity in the density are found by analysing the ternary phase equilibrium and physical parameters using the PR equation of state. A transitional area between the supercritical phase and the dense phase, where the density changes abruptly, is defined as the quasi-critical region. This study describes the functional relation between the temperature and the pressure that defines the quasi-critical line by calculating the partial derivative equations and then determines the effect of impurities on the quasi-critical region of transported CO₂. Operational recommendations for pipeline transportation of flue CO₂ are developed using a pipeline operated by Sinopec as an example, demonstrating the influence of impurities in flue CO₂ on saturation pressure for control and prevention of fractures in CO₂ pipelines.     

基于光电子能谱的高含水输油管道内壁腐蚀减薄试验分析

鄂尔多斯盆地高含水输油管道内壁腐蚀减薄现象普遍,腐蚀穿孔频次逐年上升,管道安全防护管理成为难题。为了识别输油管道内壁腐蚀减薄原因,作者在分析含水率、地层水水型、溶解氧对管道内腐蚀影响的基础上选择特征试验管段,基于X射线光电子能谱技术开展管道内壁厚度变化、金相组织、腐蚀产物特性、边缘腐蚀状态研究。结果表明:高含水输油管道内壁腐蚀减薄类型为Cl+O2+H2O环境下的垢下腐蚀,以溶解氧（O2）腐蚀为主,氯离子（Cl－）腐蚀为辅;内壁腐蚀减薄原因为原油含水率过高、水中氯离子含量过高、水中含有溶解氧和介质流速偏低。     

Failure of a heat exchanger generated by an excess of SO2 and H2S in the Sulfur Recovery Unit of a petroleum refinery

The aim of this work is to investigate the level of damage to the heat exchanger in a Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) of a petroleum refinery. The by-products of oil refining are submitted to special treatment in order to meet technical specifications of corrosivity, sulfur content, acidity, formation of pollutant compounds, and color alteration. Sulfur is removed from the by-products in the form of H₂S, which is an acid gas that is sent to the SRU for sulfur production. The gases in the SRU are H₂S, CO₂, SO₂, and SO₃, which are corrosive to the mild steel equipment. The Unit is frequently forced to paralyze its activities due to the corrosion of its heat exchangers and pressure vessels, and the acid gas load is burnt causing the release of SO_x into the atmosphere. The above occurs when generalized corrosion damages SRU equipment. The importance of this work is to emphasize that the leakage of acid gas and sulfur into the atmosphere is a direct result of corrosion, which causes economical and environmental damage. This study may be used to improve the control of The Claus Process and to minimize corrosion damage. The SRU does not, at present, carry out any corrosion prevention methods. The corrosion of mild steel is controlled by correct air admission to oxide H₂S, and to produce SO₂, which is the reagent in the reaction of sulfur production.     

高含硫气田地面集输系统防腐技术综合应用浅析

针对高含硫气田地面集输系统中H2S、CO2严重腐蚀管道和容器的问题,分析了腐蚀产生机理和破坏形式。以四川省境内的普光气田为例,阐述了实际采取的各种防腐措施,主要包括:选择抗蚀材料,严格控制焊接工艺,对输送的天然气进行保温外输,使用缓蚀剂,防止冷凝水析出以及避免管道弯头和突出部位的紊流。在此基础上,分析了目前主要的在线腐蚀监测方法的特点,介绍了普光所用的在线监测技术及其监测系统。各种防腐和在线监测技术的综合应用,对于保障高含硫气田安全生产和运行具有重要意义。     

Development of HGAPSO-SVR corrosion prediction approach for offshore oil and gas pipelines

Managing the oil and gas pipelines against corrosion is one of the major challenges of the oil and gas sector because of the complexities associated with the initiation, stabilization, and growth of the corrosion defects. The present research attempts to develop a model for predicting the maximum depth of pitting corrosion in oil and gas pipelines using SVM algorithm. In order to improve the SVM performance, Hybrid PSO and GA was utilized. Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine the time lapse for the pit depth growth. In order to implement the above modeling approaches and to prove their efficiency and accuracy against a large database, a total of 340 data samples for corrosion depth and rate are retrieved from the Iranian Oilfields. The performance of the new algorithm shows that it has higher stability and accuracy. In addition, the forecasting results of the new algorithm are compared with the 11 intelligent optimization algorithms, it shows that the novel hybrid algorithm has higher accuracy, better generalization ability, and stronger robustness. The coefficient of determination (R²) value in the testing phase for SVM-HGAPSO was estimated by 0.99. Proposed hybrid model and Monte-Carlo simulations pitting corrosion based on Poisson square wave process have been used to predict the time evolution of the mean value of the pit depth distribution for different categories of maximum pitting rates (low, moderate, high and sever). The models was validated with 4 field data for each of the pitting corrosion categories and the results agreed well. The pipelines under severe pitting corrosion rate were, more conservatively predicted by HGAPSO-SVR than those under low, moderate and high pitting corrosion rates. The results obtained demonstrate the potentials of this technique for the integrity management of corroded aged pipelines.     

基于遗传-神经网络算法的含均匀腐蚀缺陷油气管线爆破压力预测研究*

为提高含均匀腐蚀缺陷油气管线爆破压力的预测精度，保障长输油气管线的安全运行，将遗传算法和BP神经网络相结合，建立含均匀腐蚀缺陷油气管线爆破压力预测的遗传-BP神经网络（GA-BPNNs）模型。采用已有文献实验数据，分析对比该模型与AGA NG-18，ASME B31G，修正B31G，PCORRC，DNV RP-F101和SHELL 92等方法用于X46，X52，X60，X65，X80等材质油气管线含均匀腐蚀缺陷时爆破压力的计算误差。结果表明:GA-BPNNs模型用于含均匀腐蚀缺陷油气管线爆破压力预测时，误差在-7.78%～6.06%之间，预测精度明显高于目前国内外通用规范的计算结果；该模型操作简单，适用范围广，工程实用性好，为含缺陷压力管道爆破压力的预测提供更好的思路和方案。     

Experimental studies of crevice corrosion for buried pipeline with disbonded coatings under cathodic protection

Numerous fire and explosion accidents have occurred because of pipeline ruptures through the corrosion area. Coatings under cathodic protection (CP) have been recognized to prevent/mitigate potential pipeline corrosion. In this work, a wedge-shaped crevice assembly was developed to study the effect of cathodic protection on corrosion of 20# steel pipeline with disbanded coatings. Polarization potential, current density, solution pH value, and dissolved oxygen concentration were measured by using the simulation of crevice area with disbonded coatings. Results have demonstrated that CP cannot reach the crevice bottom which reduces the effectiveness of corrosion protection. This effectiveness depends on the crevice geometry and could be improved with the increase of crevice length and decrease of its mouth size. A potential difference always exists between the mouth area and inside crevice. The oxygen concentrations drop significantly inside crevice whether CP is applied or not. The solution pH values inside crevice increase with the time. The solution pH values are higher when the applied CP potentials are more negative. According to the experiments, the effectiveness of cathodic protection could also be improved through enhancement of the local solution alkalinity. The research provides necessary information to prevent potential pipeline ruptures due to crevice corrosion and therefore mitigate potential losses for oil and gas transportation in the process industries.     

埋地油气管道沿线土壤腐蚀性可拓评价研究

油气管道长期埋设在土壤环境中会受到各种侵蚀介质的腐蚀并引发泄漏、火灾、爆炸等事故。针对土壤腐蚀因素复杂多变的特点,建立基于物元、可拓集合和关联函数的埋地油气管道沿线土壤腐蚀性评价模型;选取土壤电阻率、自然电位、氧化还原电位、pH值、含水率、Cl-含量、SO42-含量7个评价指标,将土壤对油气管道腐蚀的严重程度划分为低、较低、中、强和较强5个等级;采用客观赋权的变异系数法（CV法）来确定土壤腐蚀性评价指标的权重,避免了以往评价方法的主观性,进一步提高模型的精度和效率。以某埋地天然气管道5个管段土壤为例,可拓评价结果表明4#土壤的腐蚀性较强,其他土壤腐蚀性中等,这与外腐蚀检测结果吻合,证明所想出的模型简便、高效、精确,具有很好的科学性和工程应用性。     

Reducing the risk level for pipelines transporting carbon dioxide and hydrogen by means of optimal safety valves spacing

In many countries where electricity generation is based on their natural resources of fossil fuels a need arises to implement new power engineering technologies that allow carbon dioxide capture. Simultaneously, efforts are made to find new energy carriers which, if fired, do not involve carbon dioxide emissions. Hydrogen is one of such fuels with this future potential which is now becoming increasingly popular. Obviously, this means that the two gases mentioned above – carbon dioxide and hydrogen – will be produced in large quantities in future, which in many cases will necessitate their transport over considerable distances. If a pipeline failure occurs, the transport of the gases may pose a serious hazard to people in the immediate vicinity of the leakage site. This paper presents an analysis of the possibility of reducing the level of risk related to pipelines transporting CO₂ and H₂ by means of safety valves. It is shown that for a 50 km long and a 0.4 m diameter pipeline transporting gas with the pressure of 15 MPa the individual risk level can be reduced from 1·10⁻⁴ to 6.5·10⁻⁷ for CO₂ and from 1·10⁻⁶ to 6·10⁻¹⁰ for H₂. The social risk can be diminished in similar proportions.     

Release and dispersion behaviour of carbon dioxide released from a small-scale underground pipeline

The development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) brings challenges for safety issues regarding carbon dioxide (CO₂) transmission pipelines. Once a pipeline is punctured or full-bore ruptured, the leaked CO₂ is hazardous to personnel and the environment. Small-scale devices were established with the aim of studying the release and dispersion behaviour of gas and liquid CO₂ from a punctured underground pipeline. A sandbox was built to simulate the underground conditions. The parameters of the sand used in the experiments were tested. CO₂ concentrations on the ground and temperatures around the release orifice in the sand were analysed. The results indicate that in the CO₂ gas release experiments, the CO₂ concentration on the sand surface decreases with increasing horizontal distance in the form of a power function. CO₂ concentrations in upward release are slightly larger than those in horizontal release at the same location but are obviously bigger than values in downward release. The temperature-drop region is much smaller than that in air. A frozen ice ball can be generated near the release orifice during the gas phase of the CO₂-release process. In the liquid phase of CO₂-release experiments, a large amount of dry ice is generated near the release orifice. Dry ice can only be generated in the area close to the release orifice, especially in the near-field area.     

The extreme carbon dioxide outburst at the Menzengraben potash mine 7 July 1953

Carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant and an irritant gas. An extreme outburst of carbon dioxide took place 7 July 1953 in a potash mine in the former East Germany. During 25 min, a large amount of CO₂ was blown out of the mine shaft with great force. It was wind still and concentrated CO₂ accumulated in a valley leading to multiple asphyxiation casualties. Based on a review of concentration-response relationships, the location of victims, and other information, it is concluded that concentrations of 10-30% carbon dioxide may have occurred 450 m from the point of release for at least 45 min. It is concluded that 1100-3900 tonnes of CO₂ were blown out of the mine shaft, possibly with intensities around 4 tonnes/s. It is also concluded that the large majority of the gas escaped as a near-vertical high-velocity jet with only little loss of momentum due to impingement. The release was modelled using PHAST. Output from the model is inconsistent with the asphyxiation harm observed. The high-momentum release is predicted to disperse safely and never reach the ground. Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) schemes will involve handling and transportation of unprecedented quantities of CO₂. Case histories to date include sudden releases of CO₂ of up to 50 tonnes only, far too small to provide a suitable empirical perspective on predicted hazard distances for CCS projects. The 1953 outburst contributes to filling this gap.     

Effect of CO2 corrosion behavior of mild steel in oilfield produced water

The corrosion rates of API X65 mild steel alloy in CO₂ – containing produced water have been studied by weight loss technique, potentiodynamic polarization technique and characterization of the corroded surface techniques. The effect of temperature, speed of rotation, pH and acetic acid concentration were studied. The optimum condition in presence and absence of protective film were also addressed. The kinetic parameters and reaction behavior were discussed in details. Corrosion rates increases with increasing temperature, acetic acid concentration, and speed of rotation, and decreased with increasing solution pH. The primary corrosion product of API X65 mild steel is ferrous carbonate (FeCO₃) at high temperatures, high pH's (alkaline media) and absence of acetic acid, which could act as a protective film so that CO₂ corrosion rate can be reduced.     

Fracture criterion and control plan on CO2 pipelines: Theory analysis and full-bore rupture (FBR) experimental study

Pressurized pipelines are the most reliable and cost-effective option for the long-distance transportation of CO₂ from an emitter to an onshore storage site. Propagating or unstable factures are considered catastrophic pipeline failures, resulting in a massive escape of inventory within a short period of time. The decompression curve for CO₂ exhibits a large drop in decompression wave speed at the phase transition pressure, leading to a higher driving force for crack propagation. The study of fracture control plans is very important for assessing the possibility of fracture propagation and preventing unstable fracturing along CO₂ pipelines. Three full-bore rupture (FBR) experiments were performed using an industrial-scale (258 m long, 233 mm inner diameter) CO2 pipeline with initial CO2 states of gaseous, dense and supercritical phases, respectively. The relation between the decompression velocity and the pipeline fracture propagation velocity was analyzed during the process of buried CO2 pipeline release. A fracture propagation criterion was established for the buried CO₂ pipeline. For the gaseous CO₂ leakage, the pressure plateau corresponding to the decompression wave velocity only appeared near the closed end of the pipeline. For the dense CO₂ leakage, the pressure plateau corresponding to the decompression wave velocity was observed near the saturation pressure after rapid decompression. For the supercritical CO₂ leakage, the pressure plateau corresponding to the decompression wave velocity was observed in the stage when the supercritical CO₂ transformed into the two phases of gas and liquid. Compared with the gaseous and dense CO₂, for the supercritical CO_2, the initial decompression wave velocity was the smallest, and the requirement of the pipeline safety factor was the highest.     

基于有限元的含腐蚀缺陷原油集输管道剩余强度研究*

为研究含腐蚀缺陷原油集输管道的剩余强度,以延长油田集输系统常用的20#管线钢为例,采用ABAQUS建立1/2腐蚀管道有限元模型,研究单个均匀腐蚀缺陷对集输管道剩余强度的影响,分析缺陷位置、缺陷长度、缺陷宽度和缺陷深度的影响规律,并采用Matlab对缺陷长度和缺陷宽度角的模拟结果进行拟合,拟合确定系数R2均达99.0%以上。结果表明:集输管道的剩余强度受缺陷位置的影响较小;随着缺陷长度的增加先减小后保持不变,随着缺陷宽度的增加先略微增加后保持不变,建立缺陷深度分别为1.5,2.0,2.5 mm的有限元模型,得到缺陷临界长度分别为210,140,130 mm,缺陷宽度角分别为56°,57°,141°;剩余强度受缺陷深度的影响最大,会随着缺陷深度的增加而减小;缺陷深度越大,缺陷长度和缺陷宽度对剩余强度的影响越大。     

Flammability of hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide mixtures

The effect of carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration on the ignition behaviour of hydrocarbon and CO₂ gas mixtures is examined in both jets and confined explosions. Results from explosion tests are presented using a 20 l explosion sphere and an 8 m long section of 1.04 m diameter pipeline. Experiments to assess the flame stability and ignition probability in free-jets are reported for a range of different release velocities. An empirically-based flammability factor model for free-jets is also presented and results are compared to ignition probability measurements previously reported in the literature and those resulting from the present tests.The results help to understand how CO₂ changes the severity of fires and explosions resulting from hydrocarbon releases. They also demonstrate that it is possible to ignite gas mixtures when the mean concentration is outside the flammable range. This information may be useful for risk assessments of offshore platforms involved in carbon sequestration or enhanced oil recovery, or in assessing the hazards posed by poorly-inerted hydrocarbon processing plant.     

油气管道伴行光缆失效统计及对策措施研究

油气管道伴行光缆在油气运输中起着十分重要的作用。由于外部环境的突发性、复杂性、不可控性,导致伴行光缆管理困难、混乱,断缆事件经常发生,给油气管道运输带来较大损失。本文以某公司为例,以2012~2018年光缆断裂事故数据为依托,运用鱼刺图方法梳理出光缆失效的4大原因类别,并应用故障树分析法对光缆失效进行分析,从最小割(径)集、结构重要度方面对光缆失效因素分析,并针对不同的危害因素提出合理的风险管控措施,构建光缆失效保护层,为今后油气管道伴行光缆风险管控提供指导。     

IAFSA-GRNN在油田集输管道CO2腐蚀速率预测中的应用

为提高油田集输管道CO₂腐蚀速率预测的准确性,针对原始广义回归神经网络(GRNN)预测精度低的问题,提出改进的群智能算法优化原始GRNN的预测模型;分别使用GRNN模型、人工鱼群算法(AFSA)优化的GRNN(AFSA-GRNN)模型和自适应改进的AFSA-GRNN(IAFSA-GRNN)模型预测X65管线钢的CO₂腐蚀速率。结果表明:采用AFSA和IAFSA优化光滑因子S后,能大大提高GRNN模型的预测精度,预测结果的平均相对误差由36.09%分别减小至7.20%和6.90%;与AFSA相比,IAFSA优化的GRNN不仅具有更高的预测精度,还具有更快的收敛速度。AFSA-GRNN在第164次迭代计算时收敛,而IAFSA-GRNN在第109次迭代计算时收敛,说明AFSA经自适应优化能提高优化过程的收敛速度和GRNN的预测精度。     

Study on the deflagration reaction process of oil gas in long-narrow confined space based on PLIF and flame spectra

Oil gas explosion in long-narrow confined space is a typical unsteady combustion process. To study the reaction process, two experiment techniques are adopted in this research. One is planner laser induced fluorescence, which is used to achieve the transient measurement of free radicals in unsteady premixed combustion field. The other one is the spectral testing technique, which is used to measure the luminescence spectrum characteristics of oil gas combustion flame. The distribution of OH radical and CH radical at different positions in the combustion field, the common partition of deflagration flame structure under different oil gas concentrations, and the main luminescence spectra of radicals such as OH, CH, C₂, C₃, CO₂, H₂O and HCO are obtained. By comparing the above three aspects, the combustion reaction process of premixed mixture is revealed, driven by the coupling effect of chemical reaction and fluid flow in the process of explosion propagation. The process can be described briefly as follows. In the “outer flame zone”, large hydrocarbon molecules are mainly transformed to small molecules and free radicals by means of pyrolysis, dehydrogenation and oxidation. In the “inner flame zone”, carbon particles and combustion products produced and gathered after relevant reactions.