Tackling the costly issue of corrosion

Tackling the costly issue of corrosion is an ongoing headache for oil & gas operators across the world. Louise Davis meets a specialist from a coatings company whose aim is to empower the industry in its efforts to reduce rust.

The global cost of corrosion, both in terms of money and the effect it has on the environment, is not talked about enough, according to Ekaterina Mezhentseva, Global Solutions Manager, Jotun Performance Coatings. Determining accurate statistics is difficult for something whose cause, effect and mitigation tends to be a gradual process spanning multiple years. However, Mezhentseva says: “The annual cost of corrosion is estimated at around US$2.5 trillion, which is equivalent to 3.4% of the global GDP, as per data published by NACE in 2013. This does not include the indirect cost related to corrosion, such as downtime and other effects on society – so the total cost is far greater.”

As well as the shocking financial costs, Mezhentseva also highlights a worrying knock-on effect, which is that corrosion is a big source of CO2 emissions globally. “According to the World Steel Association data, steel production represents around 10.5% of total global CO2 emissions. Between 20% and 40% of steel produced today is intended to replace corroded steel. And if we continue the same approach to tackling corrosion, by 2030, as much as 9.1% of the total CO2 emissions will be associated with steel produced to replace corroded steel,” she details.

CRUSHING CORROSION

Although there is still a long way to go in terms of getting the oil & gas industry to limit corrosion, engineering operators have got considerably better at dealing with it over the years. As in many other parts of the broader engineering sector, Mezhentseva has noticed the rise of a more proactive approach here. She says: “Preventative maintenance is a known approach in corrosion management. Understanding operational and environmental factors affecting steel and causing corrosion and taking actions early enough is a key.”

She adds: “The awareness of corrosion and consequences related to corrosion has been increasing significantly in the industry, and we can see this confirmed in the large-scale study related to maintenance in the oil and gas industry that we recently launched.”

Jotun’s survey, which was published in August 2024, collected the views of 1,017 senior professionals in the onshore and offshore oil and gas sectors across 10 countries, exploring the industry’s attitudes to maintenance management and the near-term outlook for the sector. “88% confirmed that they are expecting their businesses to increase maintenance budgets in the next five years. In addition, we see that maintenance including corrosion management is gaining a strategic focus in the industry, particularly driven by sustainability and decarbonisation targets,” notes Mezhentseva.

 Putting money aside is one thing; actually tackling the problem is another thing entirely. When it comes to corrosion, there is certainly no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Mezhentseva observes that every project is different: “It starts from understanding the key challenges that both the industry as a whole and a specific operation are facing. Corrosion is a complex issue that requires a certain level of expertise and experience to manage it efficiently and prevent it from causing damage and downtime. Jotun delivers corrosion expertise and support to the maintenance planning and provides a range of certified and proven technologies in corrosion protection, passive fire protection, and heat- and chemical-resistant coatings.”

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

In oil and gas environments there’s often a great deal of pressure to keep operations flowing at all costs. Naturally, this means Jotun always emphasises the need for preventative measures. “Operational downtime represents a large cost and safety issue. To maximise operational uptime and avoid unexpected downtime, our main recommendation is always to secure long-lasting or even extended protection that will prevent corrosion even in the most challenging conditions,” she advises. But there will always be some scenarios where treatment or repair work is necessary. “In cases where a shutdown is required and the priority is to bring the plant back to operations as efficiently as possible, we support this by providing fast return to service products and solutions.”

CRITICAL COATINGS

To simplify Jotun’s approach in the onshore oil and gas industry, there are several key areas where coatings play a vital role to ensure safety and efficiency at the facility. “Fire protection is one of these areas, as explosions and hydrocarbon fire represent a serious hazard for both people and property, and certified fire protection, such as our Jotachar coating, will delay structural collapse so that people can evacuate the facility safely,” states Mezhentseva.

Corrosion under Insulation, known as CUI, is also a huge threat to safety and operations, and the various and changing temperatures in a facility is causing this challenge. It can be responsible for leaks, fires or even explosions on energy facilities. On this, Mezhentseva comments: “High-performing technologies, such as Jotatemp, that have been tested and approved for CUI conditions can help reduce the risk for hidden corrosion under insulation.”

Tank linings are also a part of Jotun’s expertise areas, with close to 70 years of experience within the field. Tankguard is a range of reliable and trusted tank linings that ensure safe and efficient handling, storing and transportation of vital products such as oil, petrochemicals and chemicals.

“Additionally, solutions such as AssetKeeper, our expertise and proactive service programme, is one example of how we support maintenance planning so that downtime will be limited,” explains Mezhentseva.

REAL-WORLD PROJECT

A recent success story saw the AssetKeeper solution deployed in an oil & gas sector project. Mezhentseva explains: “Showcasing how we work with coating and corrosion assessment, when PPC (Petroleum Pipelines Company) in Egypt wanted us to deliver an assessment on noticeable coatings failures on some of their tanks, we utilised the AssetKeeper tool. Our technical team discovered that the paint specification used was not suitable for the climate and conditions that the tanks were operating in – with the condition of the coatings being poor after only two years despite being designed to last for five.” Mezhentseva says that following Jotun’s reporting and guidance on how to proceed with repairing, the technical team created a new paint specification that considered the requirements PPC had (as well as the extreme conditions) to ensure durability and performance.

The coatings specialist is not content to sit back and revel in such accomplishments, though. Mezhentseva reports that across the entire company there remains a drive to deliver even greater progress in its mission to banish corrosion. “More than 400 scientists in Jotun are working closely with the rest of the organisation to ensure we stay on top of product and technology innovations,” she reveals. “This has been at the core of the company since its inception almost 100 years ago, and the teams in our seven R&D centres are excited to showcase new innovations in the coming months.”

REVEALING RUST RESEARCH

Jotun’s recent report emphasises the growing strategic significance of maintenance within the oil and gas sector. The report’s findings underline the crucial role that maintenance, especially corrosion management, plays in ensuring the safety, profitability, and environmental sustainability of oil and gas operations. The positive news was that respondents confirmed that maintenance budgets are increasing. However, three quarters of the senior decision-makers in the oil and gas industry (74%) said these maintenance budgets are the first to be cut when cost savings must be made. This paradox demonstrates how difficult it is for those in charge of maintenance strategies to plan.

“Effective maintenance is no longer just a technical issue; it’s a strategic imperative that impacts every facet of the industry’s operations, from safety to environmental sustainability,” says Ekaterina Mezhentseva. “Our report clearly shows that the industry is moving towards greater investment in maintenance, driven by the need to meet ESG criteria and ensure long-term operational success, but budgets need to be future proofed to allow for effective long-term maintenance planning.”