Gazprom hosted an industry-specific meeting including heads of the Company's subdivisions focused on corrosion protection. Taking part in the meeting were over 150 heads and experts from Gazprom's relevant subdivisions and subsidiaries as well as research and contracting companies.

The meeting paid special attention to the application of independent power supply sources for cathodic protection units, development of corrosion monitoring systems as well as introduction of cutting-edge protective coatings.

The meeting highlighted that Gazprom's subsidiaries placed high emphasis on corrosion protection issues by consistently monitoring the state of coating on metal surfaces of process equipment, pipelines and metal structures of above-ground facilities, implementing training and career development programs and holding Gazprom's Best Corrosion Prevention Expert contests once in two years.

At the end of the meeting proposals were developed on how to further improve the efficiency of corrosion protection systems, deploy innovative technologies, introduce new types of protective coatings and corrosion inhibitors, corrosion inspection, maintenance and repair tools for gas transmission facilities.

Background

Trouble-free operation of gas transmission facilities (first of all – gas pipelines) requires, inter alia, corrosion protection measures: passive (protective coating) and active (cathodic) protection.

Passive protection includes paint coatings for above-ground gas transmission facilities and insulation coatings for underground facilities.

With the course of time the insulation of underground pipelines gradually loses its protective properties. As a consequence, the ground may contact with the metal. Cathodic protection is aimed at reducing (terminating) corrosion processes in the area of such contact.

Cathodic protection means producing an external electric field by special units (cathodic protection units) to create a cathodic potential on the surface of a pipeline. When such protection is applied, it is the special element (anode) made of slightly-soluble conductive materials that is exposed to corrosion dissolution.

Gazprom applies inhibitory protection at its field facilities by using special substances (corrosion inhibitors) for reducing the rate of metal corrosion on the inner surface of an object in order to protect it against the internal corrosion caused by the contact of a pipeline with the aggressive environment contained in produced and conveyed products.