Refinery corrosion management
The corrosion in refineries is largely controlled by materials selection, supplemented by neutralisation and inhibition and inspection. Risks to corrosion are however, still evident and failures occur, exacerbated by the high acid crude's on the market today.
As our monitoring technology options and capability improves the application of combined monitoring and inhibition programmes are increasing with a strong consultative and applications engineering component.
These programmes have been applied to many parts of the refinery process. These include vacuum tower overhead, the naptha vapour pipework, accumulator drum water outlet, fluid cat cracker unit and inlet drum/crude stabilisation.
Studies can also be undertaken in the amine unit, rich amine lines after the removal of H2S. This is particularly important in wet sour systems. An essential part of the plant sometimes overlooked is the cooling water systems. These should be monitored on a continuous basis to ensure proper application and usage of the inhibitor.
Refineries are increasingly aware that a seamless approach from corrosion studies through to implementation and management is the future for effective refinery corrosion management
Application
The technology and added value service is applied to the study of real-time conditions and behaviour at the metal-solution interface related primarily to high temperature corrosion control.