New Perspectives on Refinery Corrosion and Integrity Management

 

 

“New Perspectives on Refinery Corrosion and Integrity Management”

 

 

Kjell Wold

Global Business Development Manger - Roxar Flow Assurance

Emerson Process Management

Abstract:

The focus on corrosion and integrity management in the oil & gas industry today is increasing, also in the refining industry. Drivers for this are the need for improved operational safety for plant, personnel and environment, but also a need for increased plant uptime and extended equipment life. Finally, a good corrosion management program can increase the operating window, e.g allow increased blending of low cost crudes or reduce inhibitor consumption, reducing the plants operational cost. Increased use of opportunity crudes may be both an cost reducing opportunity and a need due to availabitliy of high quality crudes in todays oil and gas market.

Refineries have a range of corrosion challenges, like naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfuric acid corrosion. Efficient monitoring require a tool-box of monitoring technologies and solutions. The paper gives a introduction to intrusive and non-intrusive monitoring technologies applicable in a plant, and how they can be combined into an integrated solution, also with other refinery monitoring applications. Examples of field data for different monitoring technologies will be provided.

Bringing data to the user has also been an industrial challenge. Standardization of new communication solutions like wirelessHART and modern data management applications offers a significant shift in the convenience, quality of data and real time information, allowing actions before damage takes place. Data management solutions will be discussed in the presentation.