Cathodic protection (CP) is critical to combatting corrosion in oil and gas infrastructure. But how do you know if your impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system is performing when you don’t have oversight of your bulk storage tanks? Ian Loudon, International Sales and Marketing Manager at remote monitoring specialist Omniflex, shares a closer look at CP systems in hazardous and hard-to-reach areas.
Market research indicates that the fuel tank storage market is set to reach over USD 28 billion by 2032[1], driven by an increased need for storing fuel reserves locally in a volatile global oil and gas market. As world conflicts continue to put pressure on fuel supply chains, threats of corrosion to critical bulk tank storage facilities must be mitigated to improve efficiency, maintain environmental compliance and prioritise safety.
Traditionally, CP engineers have relied on physical inspections to assess tank corrosion – an inefficient, costly and unsafe practice. Where modern tank farms often span several kilometres and require frequent checks to satisfy reporting regulations, engineers face significant limitations to the oversight they can achieve.
Intrinsically safe CP
Bulk tank infrastructure benefits from impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) because it prevents the tank base from corroding, which can’t be seen or inspected easily. Often, tanks will be stored underground or submerged in water, and engineers only find out a system isn’t working when there is a leak.
For tanks storing explosive fuels, the importance of having intrinsically safe CP systems cannot be overstated. A small leak is enough to create an ignition source for a catastrophic explosion, with huge safety and environmental ramifications.
In a best-case scenario, bulk tanks might deteriorate due to corrosion, causing a loss of critical assets in an already volatile oil and gas market. With the right technology in place to manage the CP system remotely, these risks can be mitigated, and productivity restored to the tank farm.
A solution for large-scale projects
ICCP systems are used to manage corrosion in bulk tanks, which is better for large scale projects. Unlike galvanic CP, which uses sacrificial anodes and is better for small, low-resistive environments, an ICCP system uses a forced current to maintain a bulk tank at -0.85 V.
The ability to control ICCP remotely has significant benefits for tank farms. Firstly, ICCP systems can be adjusted dynamically to account for changes in the conditions around the tank – factors such as soil dampness, acidity and resistivity. Secondly, remote monitoring using Omniflex’s PowerView CP range reduces ongoing maintenance costs as it means tank farm operators don’t need to inspect difficult-to-access systems physically.
Providing energy security
An ICCP solution was implemented in one of Africa’s largest open-access Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) import terminals. The facility, which allows vast amounts of LPG to be stored locally, boosting the region’s energy security, benefits from automatic testing and results logging, and long-term cloud-based data storage.
Omniflex’s PowerView CP also offers integrated regular status reports, remote testing like instant off, depolarisation and more. This makes it ideal for tank farm operators where they are facing tighter reporting regulations to ensure compliance.
Loudon emphasises that regardless of the CP system employed, it needs to be intrinsically safe. This is why alarm condition alerts are one of the most important aspects of remote monitoring. Where before engineers were relying on manual inspections to pick up faults, they can now receive alarm condition alerts via SMS or email 24/7. This provides them with reassurance and allows time-critical issues to be resolved quickly and safely.
Omniflex can assist customers with ICCP systems for bulk tanks and advise on remote monitoring of CP systems.
Reference
[1] https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/fuel-tank-market#
For more information visit: www.omniflex.com
