Impressed Current Cathodic Protection for Oil Well Casing and Associated Flow Lines
Publication Date: 16/03/2019
Author(s): Muhaned Mansour Alzetouni.
Volume/Issue: Volume 1 , Issue 1 (2019)
Abstract:
Cathodic protection is an electrochemical technique for preventing corrosion of a metal exposed to an electrolyte. The process involves application of DC electrical current to the metal surface from an external source. By forcing the metal surface to accept current from the environment, the underground metal becomes a cathode of a corrosion cell and protection occurs. Cathodic protection is employed intensively on the steel drains in oil and gas industry. It is used extensively in preventing corrosion to underground and submerged steel structures; such as pipelines, production well casings, and tanks. Two types of cathodic protection systems are usually applied; the galvanic anodes system also called the sacrificial anodes system, in this system protection occurs due attaching sacrificial metals such as magnesium, zinc or aluminium which is electrochemically more electronegative than the structure to be protected, the other system is by impressed current system, powered by external source. The external source can use outside AC power through a transformer rectifier, thermo electrical generator or solar power unit with DC. current output towards the structure to be protected. The object of this study is to design a cathodic protection system by impressed current supplied with DC power source applied to oil production and water injection wells casing and their associated flow lines.
