Improving Mean Time Before Failure MTBF in Oil and Gas Wells by Analyzing Corrosion Barriers
Abstract Pipelines and downhole assembly are one of the important means for transportation of oil and gas from subsurface to the processing facility. The health of pipelines, downhole pumps, and tubulars is severely endangered by the electrochemical deterioration, which will be discussed in the context of the working environment. Major causes of pitting corrosion will be discussed, along with the damage caused to sucker rods traversing down to the pump for Rod Pump wells. Inspection and monitoring techniques for pipeline and downhole tubular are envisaged, for making corrosion decisive tree, a unique method for risk assessment. Common corrosion protection methods are considered along with an innovative method of pH stabilization. A self-improved corrosion management process is brought out at the end. Oil and gas companies use a certain percentage of their annual income to protect against corrosion on average. Fading infrastructure, performance improvement, cost, and safety are critical for corrosion control. Inspection and monitoring techniques are not sufficient enough to estimate future performance. By assimilating inspection, monitoring, mitigation, and prediction techniques, an extensive corrosion-management program can be developed. Corrosion barriers are assembled to prevent the failure of age-old infrastructure. Remedial actions taken subsequently, can then be followed strictly to counterwork against the effects of corrosion barriers, thereby helping to assure the structural integrity of production system. Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) can be significantly improved by following this methodology as discussed in a case. Go-gauging and inhibitor wash for tubular, is the recommended method for operators in extracting subsurface oil from a corrosive environment without failure. pH stabilization method is the most effective method for substantially reducing the corrosion rate in gas condensate pipelines at offshore. Corrosion decisive tree assesses the risk involved in corrosion, and corrosion management is an arrangement of barricades to impede material failure.