Colin Bateman - IGS Europe
Internal metal wastage in critical production pressure vessels in downstream processes is a major problem prevalent in oil & gas, petrochemical, petroleum refining, and energy industries, particularly when operating in aggressive environments such as sour or Sulphur containing conditions.
Modified NiCrMo-XX alloys, sprayed with High Velocity Thermal Spray (HVTS) technology isolate the asset substrate material from the operating environment and prevent corrosion. This paper introduces the critical parameters required for this technology to be successful and
presents the test procedures carried out to validate the performance, including;
- Electrochemical tests: performed on as-received C276 alloy, A36 carbon steel and HVTS
cladding in 0.85 pH, 10 wt.% NaCl solution at ambient temperature. Potentiodynamic
polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed to study the
effectiveness of the as applied HVTS cladding system - SEM and EDS: to ascertain and characterize the microstructure of the samples (Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy).
Sulphur plant corrosion can be successfully arrested with the in-situ application of High Velocity Thermal Spray (HVTS) cladding, as demonstrated by several case studies that are also given in this presentation. Many major downstream oil, gas and chemical companies are employing this technology as a critical component of turnaround planning for both planned and discovery scope. Case studies from O&G majors are cited demonstrating the range and applicability of this reliable tool for maintaining asset integrity.
Colin has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering and more than 20 years of experience working in corrosion management using both organic/composite and metallic solutions, focusing in recent years on upstream and downstream oil and gas operations and maintenance. After beginning his career in 1997 at TENMAT in Manchester UK and spending 2 years working in Australia, Colin worked for 10 years with Belzona Polymerics Ltd leaving as the Technical Services Manager before joining Integrated Global Services Inc. (IGS) in 2015. Colin is also a NACE Level 3 certified inspector.
