Premature corrosion failures are often due to unanticipated environmental conditions. Identifying those conditions after the fact can be a challenge. However, since each specific chemical compound in a corrosion deposit is formed in a specific range of thermodynamic conditions, an analysis of the corrosion deposit can often help determine the cause of the corrosion. This paper will describe the conditions under which various corrosion products of iron are formed, provide some case histories where a corrosion product analysis proved helpful, and discuss the limitations of this technique.

Keywords:
materials and corrosion, Upstream Oil & Gas, Corrosion Product analysis, Sulfide, Subsurface Corrosion, mackinawite, steel, flowline corrosion, riser corrosion, lepidocrocite
Subjects:
Pipelines, Flowlines and Risers, Materials and corrosion, Well Integrity, Subsurface corrosion (tubing, casing, completion equipment, conductor)
Copyright 2016, Society of Petroleum Engineers
You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.