Chapter 1
Problem and its Background
IntroductionThe most lucrative and possibly the richest industry in the world include companies that deal with petroleum and petrochemical products. As an essential commodity, these industries tend to be more of an indispensable component of the all aspects of business and trade. Studies have mentioned that the varying cost of these petroleum products and their petrochemical counterparts tend to augment the actual price in the market. Unfortunately, most if not all products are anchored in the actual price of these petroleum and petrochemical products. One of the major causes of wastage and cost-incurring occurrences in this industry is the presence of defective pipelines. In the process of transferring petroleum products and petrochemicals from point A to point B, it is inevitable for the transition to incur any systems loss. At the most, companies tend to give the burden of these lost resources to the consumers. In the instance where high costs are incurred, these may be attributable to the company’s weak pipeline reliability and consequent damages in its pipelines. The most prominent cause of such damaged pipelines is corrosion. This study shall take into consideration occurrence of corrosion on petrochemical and petroleum pipelines. In the research process, an in-depth discussion regarding the possible causes, methods of prevention and perceived remedies shall be provided. The arguments and observations made throughout the study shall be based on the past and existing literature on pipeline management and corrosion science.
Background of the TopicPipeline corrosion is normally caused by a lot of reasons, regardless on whether the pipe is underground or openly exposed. Corrosion could be triggered by the lack of protection or appropriate means of maintaining it. Without such protection from the elements, it is more likely that deterioration will be expeditious as corrosion will set in. Looking at this description, it appears that without the initiative to protect the pipelines, the effects would essentially be unforgiving. Corrosion shall basically take away the structural integrity of the pipeline. Without such strength in these pipelines, not only will these be an unsafe means of transporting petrochemicals and petroleum products, it will essentially be a drain for any company as it will induce wastage, hence lost revenue. Fortunately, advances in technology has made available for companies to provide some way of extending the lifetime of these pipelines. However these companies have to make sure that the application and maintenance of these pipelines and these technologies have to be appropriately done. This paper shall look into the methods on which pipelines could be protected from corrosion. The general intention of this study is to discuss four of the major corrosion control methods available for companies. These include coating and linings, cathodic protection, materials selection, and corrosion inhibitors. The following parts shall specify the aims and objectives of this paper.
Aims and Objectives
In order to establish the general goals of this paper, the researcher has to answer the following questions:
· How does the past and existing literature perceive corrosion of pipelines?
· What are the means of managing pipeline corrosion
· How effective are these control systems in defending pipelines from corrosion:
o coating and linings,
o cathodic protection,
o materials selection, and
o corrosion inhibitors.
· What is the best system for the prevention and remedial actions available for companies?
Map of the StudyThe study shall give a qualitative analysis of the works pertaining to petrochemical and petroleum pipeline corrosion. Specifically, an analysis of the approaches of preventing and management of corrosion such as coating and linings, cathodic protection, materials selection, and corrosion inhibitors shall be made. The dissertation is divided into several chapters. This division provides for a clear and cohesive line of arguments for the overall dissertation. The first chapter shall consider the background of the study. Specifically, the discussions shall cover elements that cover the problem of corrosion and how companies could benefit from preventing such occurrences. This chapter shall give the aims and objectives of this dissertation and the overall rationale of doing such a work. In the same manner, this chapter shall also discuss the scope and limitations of the arguments as well as the significance of the study on this field of knowledge, particularly pipeline management.
The second chapter will serve as this dissertation’s review of past and existing literature on the study of pipeline management, corrosion science, as well as pipeline reliability. The second chapter will basically be a synthesis of the research made by the author that seeks to realise the aims and objectives of the dissertation. More importantly, the discussions shall cover studies that looked upon the effectiveness of coating and linings, cathodic protection, materials selection, and corrosion inhibitors as means of extending the lifetime of a pipeline.
The third chapter of this paper shall provide for the discussion of the methods used in this paper. In its simplest sense, the third chapter shall be covering the models employed in the data acquisition and the modes on which the arguments are provided in this dissertation. Since this dissertation is more qualitative in nature, a discussion pertaining to the overall research process shall be highlighted. In addition to this, the third chapter shall also point out the ethical considerations that the researcher had to contend with in the completion of the paper.
The fourth part of this dissertation is the presentation, interpretation and analysis of the data. The chapter shall be discussing the issues pertaining to petroleum pipeline corrosion. Other topics shall cover the types of corrosion mentioned in the aims and objectives of this paper. In the same chapter, a set of discussions presenting the preventions and remedial actions that the industry have maintained shall be pointed out as discussed in the academic journals and articles. It is in this part of the paper that preventions and remedial actions shall be discussed.
The last chapter of this dissertation shall provide a summation of the arguments and observations done throughout the previous chapters in the paper. In the same manner, this chapter shall also provide a conclusion based on these findings, arguments and observations. It is in this part of the study that recommendations as well as the preventive methods available shall be given. All these are based on the observations, arguments and analysis made in the previous chapters of the dissertation.
Rationale of the StudyAs indicated in the earlier part of this chapter, corrosion takes away the structural integrity of the pipeline. This does not only take away the safety of the materials transported in the said conduit, it also translates to added costs, wastage, and eventual loss of future revenue. The methods pointed in the aims and objectives of this paper represent the technology available for the common organisation in its quest to ultimately do away with corrosion.
However, these organisations must realise that controlling corrosion is not a simple feat. It is a dynamic and continuing process that may in itself become a money drain for the company if it is not done appropriately. An amalgamation of technology, monitoring and maintenance is an essential element in ensuring the success of controlling corrosion. It is the intention of this paper to find out the most appropriate approach in achieving this level of success in controlling corrosion and thus extending the useful lives of pipelines.
Significance of the StudyThe existing literature on pipeline management and corrosion science is rather scant. This paper intends to add up to that list and provide a detailed description of the four available approaches in pipeline management. This study shall be giving the existing literature a much needed comparison of these approaches. Students of engineering shall benefit from the findings of this paper as a summary of the levels of effectiveness shall be given in the end of this paper. In the same manner, the petrochemical and petroleum companies will also benefit from this paper. The discussions on pipeline management shall provide conclusive recommendations and remedial actions that could increase the useful life of their pipelines and in the process save them a whole lot of resources. More importantly, the study shall also benefit the consumers and society in general as the savings made by these companies entail lesser costs on which the end users tend to shoulder. All in all, this dissertation will benefit a whole range of areas from the business side of the fence, to the academic perspective, and the end-users of the product.
Scope and LimitationsThe arguments and observations that shall be provided in the course of this paper are solely based on the rationale provided in this chapter as well as the main objectives and aims of this study. Given that the discussions are based on qualitative research, this means that majority of the sources and authorities used in this study are from previous data and studies on this field. This also requires the researcher to take a higher stand on the ethical processes made in the course of this research. The importance of proper citation must be pointed out as well as the elimination of any researcher bias in the process. Though it is not easy to dispense with, the researcher should be able to treat this data objectively such that issues on manipulations and lack of neutrality will be tackled with no trouble.
Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature
Chapter 3
Methods and Procedures
Chapter 4
Presentation, Interpretation, and Analysis of Data
Chapter 5
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
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