Pipe-to-soil potential measurements are the primary means for monitoring the effectiveness of cathodic protection systems. All criteria for cathodic protection employ, in one form or another, a potential measurement of the pipe with respect to a reference electrode. This research project was undertaken to determine what portion of a pipe is sampled by an above-ground potential measurement. One important area that has not yet been investigated is what portion of a pipe is sampled during a potential survey of a pipeline in a right-of-way containing multiple pipelines directly bonded to each other....
Pipe-to-soil potential measurements are the primary means for monitoring the effectiveness of cathodic protection systems. All criteria for cathodic protection employ, in one form or another, a potential measurement of the pipe with respect to a reference electrode. This research project was undertaken to determine what portion of a pipe is sampled by an above-ground potential measurement. One important area that has not yet been investigated is what portion of a pipe is sampled during a potential survey of a pipeline in a right-of-way containing multiple pipelines directly bonded to each other. The overall objective of this project was to improve the ability to interpret close interval on- and off-potential surveys in rights-of-way containing multiple pipelines. The project objective was accomplished by completing the following specific task oriented goals: (1) to expand the previously developed computer model to include multiple pipelines in the right-of-way, (2) to predict interaction effects between two pipelines in the same right-of-way, (3) to extend modeling activities to more complex pipeline situations by modeling specific case studies, and (4) to provide field verification of the modeling activities.