S P E C I A L F E AT U R E
O
il and gas pipelines
play a critical role in
delivering the energy
resources needed to
power communities
around the world. In the United
States alone, according to the
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), more than 2.5 million miles of pipelines—enough
pipeline to circle the earth approximately 100 times—deliver oil
and gas to homes and businesses.
While pipelines are recognized by
government agencies such as the
DOT and the National Transportation Safety Board as being one of
the safest and most effcient means
of transporting these commodities,
their use still poses an intrinsic risk
due to failures and leaks. Although
major pipeline failures occur infrequently, several pipeline incidents
in recent years have put the issue
of pipeline safety into prominent
view. In response, both the Canadian National Energy Board
(NEB) and the DOT are implementing measures that promote
pipeline safety and security.
To better understand how corrosion
can impact the safety and reliability of
transmission pipelines, Materials Performance asked several NACE International
members in the oil and gas industry to
comment on the challenges faced by the
industry when managing corrosion of
pipelines, in particular the pipelines that
The Trans Alaska Pipeline.
NACE International, Vol. 52, No. 5
May 2013 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE
29