Oil and gas corrosion to be conference focus

Oil and gas companies invest large sums of money in the design, construction and operation of pipelines, processing facilities and support infrastructure. Corrosion will affect this at varying rates over time, depending on the material used, the types of corrosive agents in the environment and the physical processes and mechanisms involved. The economic impact of corrosion and its degradation of materials represents an annual cost of many millions of dollars to the industry.

In order to promote a better understanding of corrosion, the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) will host the Corrosion and Prevention 2015 Conference (C&P2015) that allows all industry stakeholders to meet and discuss a wide range of topics relating to corrosion and its prevention or mitigation. This year, the ACA will be highlighting the importance to the oil and gas industry with technical papers from a cross-section of the industry highlighting how costly corrosion can be for the sector. A focus of this will be the ACA Petroleum Chemicals and Processing Industries Technical Group’s annual forum, discussing ‘Corrosion under Insulation’.

Oil and gas infrastructure exposed to the elements.

C&P2015 will be held in Adelaide, 15–18 November. The conference brings together industry experts, academics and representatives of commercial organisations. Seminars and technical papers will cover structural risk assessments and case studies of specific strategies for asset maintenance, in addition to presentations on the varying types of inspection technique. They will also provide opportunities to explore best practice in corrosion management, environmental protection techniques, public safety and economics.

A panel of industry experts has been assembled by the ACA to discuss the challenges and the importance of maintaining vital infrastructure. Members of the panel will come from a range of industry sectors, including water treatment, oil and gas, engineering consultancy, contracting and logistics. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and debate the latest techniques and practices with representatives of water and port authorities, major national consulting companies, suppliers and companies including Santos and Chevron.

Also during the conference, the ACA is hosting an Introduction to Corrosion seminar on Tuesday 17 November. This has been designed for both experienced engineers and those new to the industry wanting to learn about, or refresh their knowledge of, metallic corrosion and the means to control it. Other topics include the process of galvanisation and the protection it provides to a material; designing and planning to minimise corrosion; and the latest advances in both protective coatings and cathodic protection technology.

C&P2015 will also highlight the importance of corrosion prevention for asset management in terms of design, operation and repair. Asset and facility management and maintenance professionals will benefit from opportunities to hear presentations by, and speak with, corrosion specialists from a number of disciplines.

The keynote address of every C&P Conference since 1951 has been the P F Thomson Memorial Lecture. This year it will be delivered by Dr Robert Francis, covering the latest research into galvanic corrosion. The lecture is named in honour of Percival Faraday Thomson, who is recognised as Australasia’s pioneer in the science and technology of metallic corrosion and its mitigation through the first half of the 20th century.

The concurrent trade exhibition is an adjunct to the technical program and will allow attendees to see the latest equipment and products available to the industry, and social events provide networking opportunities for sponsors, exhibitors and attendees.

The ACA was formed in 1955 and represents companies, organisations and individuals involved in the fight against corrosion and promotes cooperation between academic, industrial, commercial and governmental bodies. The industry association is a not-for-profit, membership association that provides training, seminars, conferences, publications and other activities to disseminate information about corrosion and its prevention or control.

For registration details and the conference program, visit the website: http://www.acaconference.com.au.