The corrosion rate of offshore pipelines when subjected to elevated operating temperatures and various environmental conditions on the cathodic protection requirements in seawater needed to be determined. The objective of this research project was to determine the effect of elevated operating temperatures up to 250F (121C) and various environmental conditions on the cathodic protection (CP) requirements of offshore pipelines in 35 (1.7C) and 60F (16C) seawater. Offshore environments were simulated in laboratory and field tests conducted in order to observe the effect of increasing surface temperature...
The corrosion rate of offshore pipelines when subjected to elevated operating temperatures and various environmental conditions on the cathodic protection requirements in seawater needed to be determined. The objective of this research project was to determine the effect of elevated operating temperatures up to 250F (121C) and various environmental conditions on the cathodic protection (CP) requirements of offshore pipelines in 35 (1.7C) and 60F (16C) seawater. Offshore environments were simulated in laboratory and field tests conducted in order to observe the effect of increasing surface temperature on the -850 mV potential criterion (versus a copper/copper sulfate reference cell) and the current density required to achieve cathodic protection. This study was funded in two programs. The laboratory work in the initial program was done at Lockheed’s Carlsbad, California, facility. The laboratory work in the subsequent project was done in Santa Clara, California. All the field work was done in a seawater lagoon in Carlsbad.