Pipelines are considered to be the safest and most dependable means of transporting resources such as crude oil and gas from fields, to refineries, and processing plants to the end user. Even the slightest breakage or rupture can completely compromise the resource being transported and is mostly caused by corrosion.

Corrosion is an inevitable phenomenon in pipes that occurs sooner or later because of chemical reactions that occur between the pipe’s material and the environment. Corrosion reduces the life of equipment and damages the overall efficiency of operations. This kind of damage is most commonly observed in the oil and gas industry and can prove to be a costly problem for pipes.

Two other causes of corrosion that might be interrelated include:

•    Stress Corrosion - This occurs when a tiny pit is formed in a metal due to stress. This stress causes a pit to deepen and extend, or cracks the protective film it is lined with. Under continued exposure to the corrosive medium and stress, the crack becomes deeper.

•    Hydrogen Embrittlement - This is a hydrogen attack which occurs when atomic hydrogen penetrates the grain boundaries of steel causing micro-cracks, blistering, and loss of ductility. The blistering is a result of the atomic hydrogen combining into molecules.

Keeping a pipeline protected and addressing any problems at the earliest should be a priority for any pipeline project. Various techniques have been devised to slow down and prevent the natural reactions that cause corrosion, to maintain pipeline integrity and reduce the costs and build-up of toxic residue in equipment.

Choosing the right chemicals can protect pipelines from corrosion and other damages such as bacterial growth and scaling without reducing the quality of the resource being transported.

Look for the following characteristics while choosing an oil field specialty chemical and ensure the longevity of your equipment:

•Good metal surface isolation – Properly isolates metal from the environment

•Excellent adhesion to the pipe – Offers resistance to cathodic disbondment

•Water resistant – Doesn't allow water to seep into the metal surface

•High impact resistance – Protects from buffeting caused by boats and floating debris

•High electrical resistance – Prevents electrolytic corrosion and resists electrical current flow

•Bio-fouling resistance – Isolates metal from marine life, fungus, and scale attack.

If you are in search of chemical companies in India that offer oil field specialty chemicals, visit https://www.thermaxglobal.com/. This is a company that focuses on treating crude oil and water in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Their range of chemicals is utilized by oil field exploration services companies, demulsifiers, de-oilers, polyelectrolytes, antifoam, and oxygen scavengers.