Cathodic Protection Enhancement at Saudi Aramco for Cross-Country Pipelines in Saudi Arabia

Abstract External corrosion of cross-country pipelines is controlled through the use of the latest technologies in protective coatings and by maintaining adequate levels of cathodic protection (CP). Pipelines with different types of coating, of different ages, buried in different types of soils, and traversing a wide variety of terrains are facing the difficulties in maintaining effective cathodic protection. This paper discusses the challenges in selecting, monitoring, and maintaining the cathodic protection for six pipelines running in same corridor that passes through different geological areas. They cross different types of terrains including rocky areas, mountains, wadis (valleys), and very corrosive subkha soils (marshes). The paper specifically focuses on the enhancement of CP current distribution and resolving low CP potentials along the pipeline corridor. Furthermore, the external corrosion controls for these pipelines are analyzed and enhanced considering all factors including coating condition, CP system performance, soil corrosivity, and in-line Inspection (ILI) results.