CORROSION UNDER INSULATION (CUI)

CUI poses a major threat to plant operability

Particularly older plant

On most sites CUI tends to be a medium to long-term problem

Risk increasing significantly after 5 to 10 year holiday period General pattern conspires to give false sense of security Routine inspection and maintenance of thermal insulation systems tends to be avoided or deferred until a process leak actually occurs Resulting failures can have serious H, S & E implications

Thermal insulation refurbishment projects carried out at two major BP sites in past 15 years have cost ~ $450MM
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CUI Not a pretty sight!

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CUI Will find you out!

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Greater Prudhoe Bay

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GPB CUI Process

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GPB - History

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GPB Incident Rate

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GPB Corrosion Rates

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GPB - Outcome
Failure Rate and Forecast
Actual failure rate increasing Forecast trend to continue

Current Program Scope/Scale

Cost $ 2 million per annum Scope/scale 10,000 #/year Full field cycle 25-30 years

Recommended Program Scope/Scale

Cost $ 10-12 million per annum Scope/scale 50-60,000 #/year Full field cycle 5 years

Move to Mainstream O&M Program

Full time program management from part-time

Actively Pursue Technology Advances

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CUI The cause

Normally associated with ingress of water from external environment into/beneath insulation Some insulating material can contain measurable amounts of aggressive ions (eg Cl-), but
Water composition is more likely to reflect environmental location Highly polluted industrial environments can result in water pH of 4 to 5 Coastal locations will usually result in significant Cl- content If steel substrate above ambient then can get concentration of aggressive ions as water vapour is driven off, eg:
Tests at Sullom Voe found a 20x higher Cl- level in water removed from insulation than local rain water

CUI problems more common where local climate comprises:

Frequent rain fall High winds Coast location

Local microclimates can also represent a high risk, eg:

Cooling towers Emissions of acidic vapours Frequent testing of water deluge systems Enthusiastic water jetting activities
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CUI The effect

Carbon and Low Alloy Steels
Manifest as localised wastage at areas in contact with water either held within the insulation or between steel and insulation All insulated equipment operating between 5oC and 200oC at risk
Highest corrosion rates found between 60oC and 120oC 1.5 mm/y typical corrosion rate; but 3 mm/y has been reported

For operating temperatures below ambient the differential vapour pressure across the insulation draws water towards steel substrate
Corrosion rate at sub zero temperatures low, but Severe corrosion can occur at locations where transition to ambient temperature or at protrusions through insulation

All thermally insulated surfaces operating between 5oC and 200oC and service life > 10 years should receive adequate corrosion protection before application of thermal insulation
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CUI The effect

Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steels
300 series stainless steels used widely but
Prone to high rates of localised attack and stress corrosion cracking under certain conditions Critical temperature, Cl- level, pH

Pitting threshold temperature, eg:

304L ~25oC; 316L ~36oC; 2204 duplex ~90oC

Stress corrosion cracking threshold temperature, eg:

50oC 60oC for 304L/316L >100oC for 2507 duplex

It is prudent to require corrosion protection on process equipment operating above the following threshold temperatures
Austenitic and low Mo-duplex stainless steels >25oC Duplex, super duplex and super austenitic stainless steels >80oC
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CUI The effect

Critical Pitting Temperature

Rainwater

Fog

Concentrated Water

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CUI Design to minimise risk

Complex geometric shapes, usually associated with ancillary attachments, supports, instrumentation etc, are where water ingress/accumulation most likely
Little can be done to alter design of off the shelf items, valves and instruments Attention to design of vessel/pipe supports, nozzles, stiffeners, insulation supports, piping layouts can greatly assist insulation contractor in reducing opportunity for water ingress
An overhead pipe support detail which is impossible to seal from water ingress

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CUI Insulation Specification

Should be sufficiently prescriptive to ensure that only quality materials from an established supplier are used
Clearly state clients expectations wrt materials and design details For new build, the spec. should be made available to process equipment designer in time to influence design/layouts Contractor should provide certificate of conformance for materials used

The extent of insulation should be challenged

Only use that required for process reasons
Where not required but already installed, remove

Use metal mesh guards to provide personnel protection

CUI has been reported under the entire range of commonly used thermal insulating materials
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CUI Insulating Material

Three key properties affect CUI:
Moisture absorbency or ability to transport aqueous fluids Ability of material to contribute to the chemical composition of the moisture Ability to withstand mechanical abuse

In practice water penetration to steel substrate occurs through gaps between

Adjacent sections of installed insulation Adjacent pieces of broken insulation

Where rate of water ingress is slow, absorbent materials may draw a significant amount of water away from steel surface, but ! Prevailing weather conditions and general physical conditions of insulation are most significant factors
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CUI Insulating Material

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CUI Weather Barriers

Metallic sheet provides optimum resistance to mechanical damage, but
Poor track record of preventing water ingress Need to select sheet material according to design life of plant and prevailing weather conditions

Non-metallic weather barriers have greater potential for limiting water ingress as more flexible and accommodating of complex geometries etc. but
If water ingress occurs there is less likelihood of draining away of evaporating off Success of application highly dependent on skills and experience of work force Insulation contractors are reluctant to use them
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CUI Metal Sheeting

Galvanised steel
Life expectancy related to Zn coating thickness and environment
Typically 80 microns

Unlikely to give life > 10 years in polluted and/or coastal atmosphere

Aluminised steel
Typically contains ~10% Si which is detrimental to corrosion performance
Rust breakthrough can occur within 1 year of exposure to aggressive environment unsightly but does not cause rapid perforation

Life > 10 years unlikely to be realised unless use 99% Al

55% Al - 43.4% Zn alloy coated steel

Combines sacrificial properties of Zn with passive properties of Al Numerous reports of giving life > 20 years

Aluminium
Extremely good resistance to environmental corrosion
thicker gauge to galvanised or aluminised steel for improved mechanical properties

Poor performance in fires should not be used on flammable processing units

Austenitic stainless steels

Significant cost penalty, therefore only considered for harshest environments Type 316 stainless steel gives superior pitting/crevice corrosion resistance

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CUI Non-metallic Barriers

Reinforced membranes
Wet applied weather/fire resistant mastic usually water based with glass cloth reinforcement
Certain products can be obtained pre-applied

Flexibility and ease of repair mean they are good for complex geometries etc Success dependent on skill of applicator; but exhibit poor impact resistance and are susceptible to environmental degradation

Elastomeric sheet
Typically 1mm sheet cut to size and sealed with both adhesive and sealant Not such a big departure from metal sheeting more acceptable to contractors Optimum performance dependent on skill of applicator; sensitive to environmental degradation under extreme weather conditions

Glass fibre reinforced epoxy

Generally confined to specialist insulation systems eg. cryogenic service Potential to provided greater resistance to mechanical damage and lends itself best to low maintenance systems Examples of still being in good condition after 20 years in service

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CUI Non-metallic Barriers

Elastomeric Sheet

Water being expelled

It is comparatively easy to achieve a completely water tight system initially. However, if the barrier is breached and water gains access it is most like to collect and stay within the insulation no loss due evaporation or natural drainage.
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CUI Non-metallic Barriers

Recent development of mouldable fibre glass reinforce plastic sheet, cured by UV light, which forms a firm bond to itself and range of substrates and accommodates complex geometries, is showing great potential

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CUI Protective Coatings

Can be extremely effective method of preventing or delaying the onset of CUI
Same levels of quality control during surface prep. and painting to that for non-insulated surfaces must be applied Thermally sprayed Al has potential to provide protection for full service life (> 20 years)
Consider as viable option for new build!

Aluminium and stainless steel overlapping spiral wrap foils are alternatives to liquid applied coating systems for protecting stainless steels from pitting and/or SCC

New build provides best opportunity to minimise risk of CUI

External condition of process equipment and access most favourable For many cases it is the only time steel substrate is accessible when at ambient temperature Extremes of temperature during coating application reduce dramatically coating performance
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CUI Protective Coatings

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CUI Protective Coatings

As for all coating systems good surface preparation is the key factor to achieving optimum coating performance/service life For carbon steel surfaces:
Hand or power tool cleaning is not a good base widely demonstrated that this will typically give 18 24 mths service life for coating system Dry abrasive blasting provides the optimum surface condition 8 to 10 years protective performance from coating
In maintenance situation dry blasting often considered unsafe or inappropriate

Slurry blasting, which uses small amounts of entrained water in abrasive stream, is capable of producing similar degree of surface cleanliness to dry blasting
Minor rust staining considered to have minimal effect when surface tolerant primers are applied as the first coat

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CUI Protective Coatings

For stainless steels:
Should always be given some form of mechanical preparation to ensure good coating adhesion Abrasive blasting (dry or slurry) or power sanding can be used Wire brushing using stainless steel bristle brushed only should be used on weldments

Maintenance painting:
The need to maximise plant availability means much of the insulation maintenance and CUI mitigation activities are carried out while the plant is operating Applying protective coating to live plant is fraught with difficulties due to the influence of substrate temperature, eg:
Substrate Temperature (oC) Lifespan (years)

<60 60 to 100 100 to 150

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CUI Maintenance Practices

Poorly maintained insulation showing many years of neglect

Mechanically damaged cladding note the absence of mastic sealant at joints

Open cladding terminations allowing free water ingress

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CUI Maintenance Practices

Many of the worst incidences of CUI are self inflicted
Due to general lack of awareness of consequences of day to day routine plant maintenance and operational activities by many site personnel

Responsibilities for the integrity of the thermal insulation system need to be clearly assigned
A full risk assessment should drive the CUI inspection and maintenance schedule Routine inspections of insulated plant and equipment should be carried out to identify displaced, missing or damaged sections of the weather barrier, and potential points of water entry A strict quality control regime should be enforced during all insulation maintenance activities
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CUI Inspection

Where and how to start?

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CUI Inspection Techniques

No single inspection technique available today is capable of determining economically the extent of CUI
The optimum approach is to use a combination of techniques linked to a risk assessment and visual surveys of the condition of insulation

Isolated strip and search visual inspection alone is uneconomic and carries a low probability of finding all CUI affected areas
However, practical experience would dictate that for high risk areas complete removal of insulation plus visual inspection is the most reliable method of determining the extent of the problem
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CUI Inspection Techniques

Non-intrusive and semi non-intrusive inspection methods fall into three man categories:
Indirect . provide evidence that corrosion could be taking place
Thermography; Neutron Backscatter

Screening .. provide evidence that corrosion is taking place, but unable to measure unequivocally
Long Range Ultrasonics; Local and Long Range Electromagnetics

Direct . permit quantitative measure of the extent of CUI

Conventional or Tangential Radiography; Removal and Visual / Physical / Conventional Ultrasonic Inspection

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CUI Inspection Techniques

Thermography
Infra red thermovison camera capable of detecting ~ 0.2oC temperature variation
Looking for loss in thermal efficiency of insulation Conduct survey after heavy rainfall worst conditions! Run first survey after commissioning

Advantages
Quick to set up and use No hazards to equipment operator Insulated plant and equipment inspected remotely

Disadvantages
Only detects deficiencies in insulation For optimum results need ~30oC gradient across insulation Need to exercise care where insulation subject to wet/dry cycles Vicinity of very hot bare objects or reflective metal cladding can obscure defects Interpretation of results requires a skilled and experienced operator

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CUI Inspection Techniques

Heat loss from a section of insulated pipe at the bottom of a vertical run due to wet insulation

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CUI Inspection Techniques

Neutron Backscatter
Been field trialed at a number of sites around the world
Water in insulation increases density of hydrogen atoms which cause scatter of fast neutrons to lower energies detected on slow neutron monitor The amount of water in insulation is related to rate of counting of slow neutrons

Use involves
Positioning a small probe close insulation for ~20 secs while the backscattered neutrons are counted

Trials and practical experience has demonstrated

Can unambiguously detect the presence of water Distinction between wet and dry insulation is greater for some insulating materials than others Proximity of concrete foundations can affect interpretation of results Results can be affected by liquid content of equipment if insulation thickness < 5cm Cannot be used when raining
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CUI Inspection Techniques

Tangential Radiography
Has emerged as most commonly applied inspection method for reliable detection of corrosion under insulation on pipework Uses low level radiation sources (X-rays or gamma rays)
Work area does not need to be roped off The radiation only passes through insulation and weather barrier

Capable of detecting uniform and pitting corrosion

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CUI Inspection Techniques

The current preference amongst plant operators is for Real-Time Radiography (RTR). This utilises a visual display unit to show a real time view of the silhouette of the outside surface of the pipe.

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CUI Inspection Techniques

PORTABLE PROFILE RADIOGRAPHY

Uses low energy radiation source Radiation signals converted into linear equivalent wall thickness Cannot distinguish between internal and external wall loss Handle wall thickness of between 1 and 1.5 C-arm lengths currently available are 8, 13 and 18

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CUI Inspection Techniques

Long Range Ultrasonics
Use of ultrasonics for the detection of CUI has been focussed on the possibility of introducing low frequency ultrasonic waves into an exposed section of the insulated plant remote from the sites of interest

Guided Wave Technology

Pulsed (~70kHz) guided waves emitted from single ring of transducers encircling pipe Returning echoes are detected and analysed Response from metal loss feature is function of its depth and circumferential extent Orientation of defect determined by sensor array Claimed limit of detection 9% but 2% - 3% has been achieved in practice Under favourable circumstances detection of defects 150m+ from sensor array is considered possible Temperatures up to 100oC are claimed to have no adverse effect on performance of equipment
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CUI Inspection Techniques

TELETEST GUIDED WAVE Typically need to remove ~1 m of insulation Can be used on both horizontal and vertical pipe Gives approximation of % wall loss at remote location, but can reproducibly locate same defect Range of detection determined by signal attenuation:
High viscosity products in pipe, including water, limit interrogation lengths to 1 18 m Light oils, gasoline or diesel, enable interrogation lengths of 20 100 m The insulation if tightly fitted can affect attenuation Runs of pipe with numerous welded bends limit ease of interrogation of signal

Under favourable circumstances, including good weather, it may be possible to inspect 1000 m per day In current form best viewed as screening tool for focusing more detailed (visual) examination CHIME - Creeping Head-Wave Method

Similar in principle to Teletest uses surface-skimming waves which become out of phase if a defect is detected Claims to provide more detailed information but inspection distance ~ metres
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CUI Inspection Techniques

Electromagnetic Methods
Pulsed Eddy Current
Measures decaying eddy currents induced into carbon steel after switching off applied electromagnetic field Rate of decaying eddy currents enables wall thickness to be determined Measurement of wall thickness for pipe ID 75 mm and operating temperature range 1000C to 550oC claimed

Long Range Electromagnetics

Analogous to Long Range Ultrasonic but using electromagnetic pulses over broad frequency spectrum Dual pulse method introduces two synchronised pulses to extremities of pipe section with imposed relative time delay in order to pinpoint the intersection of pulses within pipe wall via a receiver located adjacent to either pulse source Single pulse can be used with receiver repeatedly located at several point along interval to be inspected
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CUI Inspection Techniques

PULSED EDDY CURRENT Can measure pipe wall thickness through insulation of thickness ~ 200 mm max. Only applicable to carbon & low alloy steels Typical smallest defect detected is 50% of stand-off distance Thickness readings require calibration against measured defects If steel is not electro-magnetically homogeneous the tool will give spurious results A minimum clearance of 2 between measurement point and any adjacent detail eg. welds, supports Electrical distortions and mechanical vibrations affect the tools performance Performance is significantly reduced by galvanised or aluminised weather-proofing Individual readings take typically 2 to 5 secs but the method can not be regarded as scanning Measurements can be made at remote locations from stairways and ladders by mounting probe on a pole
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CUI Inspection Techniques

LONG RANGE ELECTROMAGNETICS
Ranking A B C D No damage ~15% wall loss ~10 to 30% wall loss > ~25% wall loss

Tendency to provide a high frequency of false indications, but rarely fails to locate external corrosion Unable to quantify degree of severity of damage, with typically only C and D corresponding to actual CUI Should be limited to interrogating straight pipe max. length ~150m Min. pipe OD is 4.5, with max. ~60 Insulation removal is minimal compared to Long Range Ultrasonics resulting typically ~50% cost savings Typical tolerance for positioning of anomalies is 1.5m Unable to determine the specific orientation on pipe of an anomaly
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CUI Risk Based Inspection

The shear scale of insulated plant and equipment on many sites renders full inspection impractical Need to develop a risk based inspection scheme for cost effective management of CUI
Risk = Probability of Failure x Consequence of Failure

Probability of failure
Normally apply a scoring type assessment based on list of key factors

Consequence of failure
The impact upon safety of personnel Effect on the environment of a product leak Cost of lost production and/or repairs to damaged equipment
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CUI RBI
PROBABILITY

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CUI RBI

RISK RATING

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CUI - RBI
CUI Risk Pyramid
2 Yes

1
No

Recent bare pipe inspection

Order for lines to be stripped

4

Yes

No

High pressure design or ow wall thickness (Schedule 40)

Yes

No

Gas Service
Yes

Insulation Removal

No

Insulation in poor location

Yes

No

Exposed location or subject to deluge testing

Yes

No

Insulation required for process (Remove insulation where not required)

Yes

No

Hydrocarbon Service

Yes

Out
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No

Are Lines Insulated

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Corrosion Under Insulation

CUI is a latent problem with a long half life, where its impact can all too easily be underestimated and addressed too late
It was born with the industry and continues to take its toll given an opportunity Many of the problems even today are arguably self inflicted

Avoidance requires proactive management throughout the life of a plant, equipment, etc starting with informed design and installation practice
eg. Application of a sound coating system to the insulated steel substrate, where possible, can really pay dividends

Cost effective management throughout operational life requires a risk based assessment approach and clear line of responsibility
Rigorously applied and regularly reviewed

There is a growing range of inspection techniques, of increasing sophistication, available to support an RBI approach, but .
No single technique practically and/or economically holds all the answers

Never rest on your laurels

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CUI Never sleeps!

NGL Roof, Forties Alpha The 4 recycle line on the K01 gas compressor recycle line ruptured releasing the contents of the compression system to atmosphere. The released gas was detected by an

infrared beam detector located on the NGL

roof, which initiated automatic production shutdown and depressurisation. The gas did not ignite and was quickly

dispersed from the roof.

The platform went to muster and was stood down 2 hrs later once the failed line had been made safe.
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