RECENT ADVANCES IN OFFSHORE CATHODIC PROTECTION

MONITORING

James N. Britton, John P. LaFontaine & Grant T. Gibson,

Deepwater Corrosion Services, Inc.
6830 N. Eldridge Parkway
Suite 211
Houston, Texas 77041
Abstract
Offshore production facilities and pipelines are being installed in new, more hostile
environments. Advances in Cathodic Protection Monitoring for new structure types in
deepwater as well as for high temperatures are discussed. New portable ROV
instrumentation as well as permanent monitoring of parameters affecting CP system
performance are reviewed.
Introduction
The factors driving the use and design of cathodic protection (CP) monitoring equipment
have not changed since first use, however our understanding of the CP process has and so
has information technology. Recently proposed new design approaches (1), have
increased the importance of area specific steady state polarization data. More complex
monitoring systems are being deployed to generate these data. Improvements in remote
data transmission have revolutionalized collection of and access to the information thus
making it more available to the right people. Deep-water structures of today are
engineered to the highest standards, leaving little room for error or corrosion. Corrosion
resistant and high-strength materials used are often susceptible to damage if exposed to
cathodic protection, magnifying the need for accurate, real time monitoring. Ongoing
improvements in Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) technology affects the way CP
systems are being monitored and maintained, and how information is gathered and
transmitted. Finally the need to understand how temperature and water velocity affect
cathodic protection design is challenging the imagination of monitoring system designers.
Application of New Design Methodology
The slope parameter CP design method will no doubt replace or at least enhance
the design of many seawater immersed CP systems in the future. The method requires an
understanding of the polarization curve of the construction material in a particular
oceanographic environment. Variation of the curve shape with current density, seawater
flow rate, temperature and resistivity are not accurately known for all values measurable

in seawater. The best way to obtain these curves is to monitor actual installations and
develop real polarization curves for a particular area. Thus the use of shunted current
density sensors (Figure 1) and anode current monitors (Figure 2) is growing in popularity.
The parameters measured from these instruments offer obvious benefits. First, the
operator is provided with critical information on the monitored structure. Second, the
system will yield information that will almost certainly allow a safe reduction on the size
and cost of the next CP systems deployed in that particular area. Monitors can interface
directly with using new cable-less diver and ROV tools. New cable-less designs reduce
the cost of monitoring by 50%. Because continuous monitoring is not necessary to
develop the polarization data needed, the sensors can be interrogated during already
scheduled regulatory subsea inspections. Since their introduction in 1998, four systems
have been installed offshore.
Data Gaps
Ironically, the most in depth quality CP data exists in deep water. There is a real
gap in our knowledge in shallow water. We know that current CP designs perform well,
however most professionals involved in offshore CP design would agree that the designs
used are ultra-conservative. The opportunity to save millions of dollars annually on
shallow water CP is being missed because we dont have the field data. New monitoring
approaches can be used to cost effectively monitor new installations and perhaps more
importantly anode retrofits (Figure 3). Figure 3 shows a monitored retrofit anode
assembly recently deployed on a pipeline retrofit in the Gulf of Mexico.
New Structure Types
Looking at some of the novel new structure types being used to produce deepwater oil &
gas, we can see new reasons for and ways to monitor CP.
Subsea Equipment
This broadly classifies equipment located on the seabed, often with no on surface
component. A typical subsea well head assembly is shown (Figure 4). These structures
are maintained against corrosion by a combination of cathodic protection, coatings and
corrosion resistant materials. When there is no surface structure, the operator will
typically use portable, usually ROV deployed sensors, to monitor cathodic protection. A
new generation self-contained CP probe is shown in (Figure 5). This probe is rated to
10,000 feet of seawater and can perform contact CP measurements; the potential and
check potential being displayed on the integral LCD readouts. The instrument can be
adjusted to interrogate fixed stab, cable-less sensors (Figure 3). These sensors contain an
encapsulated shunt that allows current and current density information to be measured.
One internal readout displays the shunt reading and the other displays potential. This
instrument has been specifically designed for deepwater ROV use. The power is
controlled by a photo sensor, which powers up only when illuminated by the ROV video
lighting. The instrument has no electrical interface to the ROV and can thus be included
in the subsea tool rack for periodic use when opportunity presents itself.

New systems being utilized in the North Sea and other parts of the world are
using high tech subsea modems that are able to modulate signals through the pipelines
and flowlines themselves. Limited usage for corrosion monitoring has proven to be
largely successful. As these systems develop, there will likely be more and more
application in the corrosion and integrity monitoring sectors.
Some of the most critical cathodic protection monitoring for these structures
happens on dry land, particularly, verification of electrical continuity on the structure.
This subsea equipment is easily the most mechanically complex equipment ever deployed
on the seabed for periods of 20 years or more continuous immersion. Mechanical
fastenings, connections and other linkages present possible areas of concern. Many parts
have to be either continuous or isolated by design. Among the problems that arise is the
false assumption that a threaded connection will ensure continuity. Continuity
inspections are critical. There are no industry recommended practices for continuity
inspections as of this issue date, however an informal procedure is available (2).
Floating Production Systems
Floating production systems are, as the name implies, self contained drilling /
production structures which float on the surface. They are however tethered to the
seabed by a variety of methods. Structure types include Tension Leg Platforms (TLPs),
floating SPAR structures and semi submersible type drilling rigs which have been
converted for permanent mooring. A SPAR structure is shown floating on its side prior
to tow out in a Texas fabrication yard (Figure 6). These complex structures present a
number of new CP environments that have rarely been encountered. In order apply
cathodic protection efficiently, we have to monitor.
Floating structures often incorporate Moonpools which are large apertures
extending from above water through the hull of the structure. In these areas deepwater
drilling and production operations can be completed in a calm, controlled environment.
On a SPAR structure the bottom opening of this hole could be 600-700 feet below the
surface. In addition, they are often full of drilling and production risers and riser
buoyancy structures. The exposed surface areas are very large and access for postinstallation retrofit or even routine inspection, are limited or non-existent. Due to the
very recent installation of these structures, no long-term CP field data exists. Current
density sensors, anode current monitors and dual element reference electrodes (Figure 7)
were installed on a recently launched structure in the Gulf of Mexico to provide some
answers for future designers.

Variable Ballast Tanks

Tethered floating structures must have variable buoyancy to adjust for differing
deck loadings and sea state. Large tanks in the hull that can be flooded or evacuated
provide control with seawater. These tanks are constantly being polarized and
depolarized by the installed cathodic protection system which has to last the entire design
life of the structure. If there should be a problem and corrosion were to perforate these
tanks or the ballast control piping within the tanks, the structure could be placed in
jeopardy. Rugged Zinc reference electrodes located within these tanks provides long
term verification of CP adequacy in a cost efficient manner (Figure 8).
Pipeline CP Monitoring
ROV Monitoring
Most offshore pipeline CP monitoring has to be performed by portable means.
ROVs inspect offshore pipelines routinely and the three-electrode inspection method (3)
is still the most widely used. One recent advance is the modification of these systems
that allows for interfacing with fiber optic data telemetry. CP measurement systems must
have some copper-analog conductors to connect remote and close cells in a typical threeelectrode set up (Figure 9). However the subsea control computer on the ROV keeps this
requirement to a single conductor which need extend only as far as the ROV tether
management system. All other signals are optically encoded subsea transmitted
absolutely error free through the ROV umbilical, and then decoded topsides.
Fixed Monitoring
Some pipelines are so critical that extra ordinary measures are employed to ensure
that cathodic protection is adequate. A recent pipeline installed in the Gulf of Mexico
was required to operate at 300F, because this was an industry first, most of the CP
design parameters were determined in the laboratory. To obtain field data, a complex
system of on-pipe sensors was deployed to verify CP system performance. The
monitoring package included current density sensors, temperature probes, anode current
monitors, coating efficiency monitors and a variety of reference electrodes. The sensors
were deployed at critical locations on the pipeline and cabled back to the surface
platforms on either end. Data acquisition systems on either end of the pipeline collected
the 58 channels of information. Figure 10 shows one of the two data acquisition panels
and Figure 11 shows a typical sensor array attached to one of the pipeline risers.
Information from this system as well as some point data from diver stabs have been used
to verify a predicative model which was developed as part of the scope on this project.
The predictive model can now be used with a much higher degree of certainty, and will
thus save the operator from costly over-designs and frequent monitoring.

Future Developments
It is probable that the development of new thermally applied metallic coatings
will be a part of future deepwater or high temperature CP systems. Large capacity middepth systems will certainly shift more toward impressed current, as cost and flexibility
become more important factors. The future success of these systems will depend largely
on information gathered from monitoring systems installed on the early deployments of
the technology.
REFERENCES
1. Townley, D.W., Unified Design Equation for Offshore Cathodic Protection, paper
no. 97473 presented at CORROSION/97.
2. Inspection Methods to Verify Electrical Continuity on Subsea Structures,
Deepwater Corrosion Services, Inc., In-House Recommended Practice-020, 1993.
3. Britton, J., Continuous Surveys of Cathodic Protection System Performance on
Buried Pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico, paper 92422 presented at CORROSION/92.

FIGURE 1. Shunted current density sensors.

FIGURE 2. Anode current monitors

FIGURE 3. Monitored anode pipeline retrofit

assembly.

FIGURE 5. Self-contained cathodic protection

probe.

FIGURE 4. Subsea well head assembly.

FIGURE 6. SPAR under

construction laying horizontal.

FIGURE 7. Current Density Sensor and

dual reference electrode for use with SPAR
structures.

FIGURE 8. Zinc reference cell.

FIGURE 9. Three-electrode set up for monitoring CP on pipelines.

FIGURE 10. Data acquisition panel.

FIGURE 11. Sensor array on pipeline.