ICorr Training and Certification for Cathodic Protection Personnel

Institute News

The Institute of Corrosion Training and Certification Scheme for Cathodic Protection Personnel has been successfully running for many years. In 2006 it was extended from only Buried CP courses to include, firstly Steel in Concrete and then Marine/Offshore to meet the then BS EN 15257: 2006 Standard on ‘CP Competence levels and Certification’. This Standard was adopted across Europe and worked as a framework to ensure equivalence and acceptance of rigorous training, assessment and certification in CP.

At an early stage ICorr partnered with the Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA), the UK trade association for CP and other corrosion mitigation measures in concrete. The CPA has members from the client/owner, contractor, material supplier and consultant sectors, and most contractors and designers active in CP of steel in concrete are members. ICorr members have been prominent in the CPA and in their technical activities in the production of guidance notes and in working with clients/owners in ensuring effective and reliable CP systems. Highways England and many other major users of CP in the concrete infrastructure require personnel working on CP to be Certificated to the appropriate level in accordance with the ICorr Scheme. This is applied to their designers, installation and operational surveillance personnel. The CPA has been responsible for marketing and administrating ICorr courses and examinations in the concrete CP sector.

In 2017 the Standard became BS EN ISO 15257:2017; this revised the previous Levels 1-3 to Levels 1-5, with Level 1 being typically for those who either worked part time in CP alongside other responsibilities, or whose role was to collect data. Level 5 is an expert level for those with particularly high levels of knowledge and expertise. During this time, as well as extensive work being undertaken by ICorr CP specialists in meeting the expanded and more rigorous requirements of the new ISO Standard, ICorr was in discussion with National Grid and other major gas distribution network operators who require high levels of expertise and certainty in their safety related CP activities. These gas transmission companies now require their key CP personnel and the CP personnel of their specialist contractors working on CP to be Certificated to the appropriate level in accordance with the ICorr Scheme. Also, during this time ICorr invested in improving the quality of their training packages which are now considered to be world leading. ICorr offers training in Levels 1-3, examinations in Levels 1-4, and competence assessment and certification to all levels. In 2021 most of the ICorr CP courses and examinations were delivered at an ICorr Approved CP Training and Examination Centre at Freyssinet in Telford. Since 2021 the CPA have been administering all L1-L3 Courses.

During the coming months, CP courses will be held at Telford and other selected locations. For a complete list of L1-L3 courses in all sectors, and to make bookings, go to, https://www.corrosionprevention.org.uk/training-courses-2022

In March 2022 ICorr rolled out its first Level 4 Buried examination. This is intended for those experienced CP Level 3 engineers, who have studied CP literature, have been mentored for some years by experienced Level 4 CP engineers in detailed and complex CP system designs and interpretation of CP performance data from ‘complicated’ CP systems, and have reached the Competence required at Level 4.
The next Level 4 examinations will be held at Corrosion House, Northampton, on 17 September and 8th December 2022.

See https://www.icorr.org/cathodic-protection-training for details.

Competence Assessment and Certification
In accordance with ISO 15257 the post examination Assessment and Certification process is undertaken within ICorr’s Professional Assessment Committee (PAC), independent of the training and examination activities. All details are on the ICorr web site as above. In addition, there is a list of all ICorr Level 4 Senior CP engineers on this web site.

New Sustaining Company Member

Institute News

Ascott Analytical Equipment

Ascott have been at the forefront of corrosion and salt spray test cabinets for over 30 years. Their business is totally focused on corrosion test equipment, and today they are one of the leading suppliers of salt spray cabinets and cyclic corrosion cabinets in the world, exporting to over 45 countries.

Everything produced is manufactured in their factory here in the Midlands, with local suppliers very much at the heart of the supply chain. Their latest range embodies customer led innovation, blending performance and technical excellence. The creation and control of corrosive climates has never been more demanding, and the development of new materials and surface coatings, plus increasing user expectations, has given rise to ever more rigorous testing. This is their forte.

Their expertise is the reassurance that a customer needs to ensure their testing is precise, compliant, and repeatable. Their equipment leads the world technically, but they also pride themselves on offering excellent value for money. Investment in an Ascott chamber offers the customer consistency, reliability, and, with their premium level of after sales support as standard, a high degree of confidence.

Many test standards can be complex and difficult to interpret, and the customers rely on their expertise, experience, and knowledge in this field to guide them to the exact product that will meet their needs. Every chamber is built to individual customer specification, even down to incorporating customer branding and corporate colours if required.

They also supply a comprehensive range of laboratory and field test equipment and consumables via an online shop, offering a convenient and trusted one stop solution for all your testing requirements.

Aberdeen Branch – Local Branch News

Institute News

The January technical meeting featured a presentation by Joshua Owen (pictured left), Research Fellow in the Institute of Functional Surfaces, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, on “Advanced once-through flow cell methodology for validation of a new ‘staged’ inhibition approach for matrix acidising treatments” as part of a collaboration between Schlumberger and Leeds to evaluate staged inhibitor approaches prior to industrial application.

Schlumberger recently introduced and patented a new staged acid corrosion inhibitor (ACI) treatment concept for application in matrix acidising treatments. The staged treatment concept recognises that treatments which employ a fixed dosage of corrosion inhibitor may not be optimal in terms of their efficiency. The concept proposes staged pumping of a first fluid composition designed to establish a persistent inhibitor film (Stage 1) and a second fluid composition to maintain the film and its associated inhibited corrosion rate (Stage 2). The staged ACI concept has the potential to provide enhanced corrosion protection of wellbore casing and coiled tubing (CT) materials, whilst using the same total quantity of inhibitor compared to conventional treatments.

Typical Onshore Well Acidising Treatment.

Typically, the corrosion test methods used to evaluate this approach have involved preparing two equivalent pre-heated and conditioned glass reactors, one of which is used for the first film-forming stage and the other for the second film maintenance stage. This procedure is rather inconvenient and involves a short period of time (~1 min) during which the weight loss coupons or working electrode (a rotating cylinder electrode) are in contact with the atmosphere which could change the corrosion potential and could potentially have an influence on the inhibitor film formed during the first stage. Instead, a bespoke, electrochemical, milli-fluidic once-through flow cell was used for validation of the staged ACI concept by exposing a carbon steel coupon, mounted within the flow cell, to 4 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) flow at a temperature of 80 °C and a flow rate of 5 ml/min. A once-through flow cell enables testing in a continuously flowing environment whilst maintaining a fresh acid solution, a controllable supply of inhibitor, and eliminating any contact of the electrode with the atmosphere.

The system was used to quantify changes in corrosion behaviour during continuous flow and during transitions from the first to second stage inhibitor dosages, to find optimal inhibitor concentration for film-forming and film maintenance stages, and to investigate the effect of metal pre-corrosion on inhibitor performance for carbon steel used as wellbore casing and CT materials. In situ linear polarisation resistance measurements confirmed that an acetylenic alcohol-based polymerisable inhibitor, used at a concentration of 0.01 wt.% in Stage 2 after a 0.2 wt.% concentration film forming stage (Stage 1), maintained excellent corrosion protection of N80 (wellbore casing) and HS80 (CT) carbon steel, with corrosion rates of < 5 mm/year measured.

Significant corrosion rate reductions achieved with staged inhibition versus applied controls.

Advantages of the flow cell for application in ACI studies are:

1. Well-defined hydrodynamics: Consistent and predictable flow across metal surface once-through nature:
2. Fresh HCl and ACI are continuously replenished and flow into waste, maintaining consistency in experimental conditions throughout In situ electrochemical measurements:
3. Measurements of corrosion rate in real time seamless condition changes:
4. Composition of fluid can be easily changed prior to inflow during an experiment (no exposure of coupon to air)

For the February presentation, Leo Richards, Principal Engineer and Andrew Duncan, Lead Consultant, both with Intertek Production and Integrity Assurance Group, described the “Implementation of Plan-Do-Check-Act review.

Leo Richards (left) Intertek Principal Engineer Production Chemistry and Andrew Duncan (right) Intertek Lead Consultant, Production and Integrity Assurance.

Corrosion management guidelines were used as the basis for an audit study of a large onshore oil field, the purpose of which was to perform a detailed review of the corrosion monitoring and mitigation systems, and to advise on any required upgrades to ensure world class/excellent asset integrity performance.

The approach taken for the study was to follow the UK Health and Safety Executive’s guidance for ‘Managing Health and Safety’, HSG65 (2013), of PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT, which considers both Technical and Systems approaches associated with managing assets safely. This is a closed loop planetary model commencing with a high-level corporate policy for health and safety, under which there is a policy and plan for managing corrosion and integrity. The model ends with lessons learned which feed back into the corrosion and integrity policy and plan to ensure risks are managed to ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’.

The model ends with lessons learned which feed back into the corrosion and integrity policy and plan to ensure risks are managed to ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’.
First, a detailed study was carried out to assess and identify the current corrosion management techniques being used and their effectiveness in the operator’s fields and process plants. The ‘gaps’ were identified within the assets, and corrosion management proposals and solutions were then provided to ensure world class asset integrity performance.

A desktop-based document review was conducted in the UK and also at the client’s offices. This was followed up by site surveys, which included visits to at least one plant of each of these facility types: gas station, degassing station, gas recycle plant, PWI stations, gas distribution stations and stripping plants.

In order to help delegate and spread some of the responsibilities for the study areas within the operator’s corrosion team, Intertek deployed RACI Charts: Responsible – Accountable – Consulted – Informed, which serves to provide structure to the corrosion team as a whole, defining who does which task and allowing the right people to do the right job and move on with it.

The study highlighted a distinct pattern in the working practices of the operator with virtually all sections of the corrosion management system being shown to have some form of PLAN and DO. However, the implementation of the CHECK and ACT stage was missing from almost all aspects.

Some Key Findings
1. Automation and use of a suitable database/Corrosion Management System makes the DO stage easier and quicker.
2. For CHECK and ACT – an automated system requires Specialist assessment, rather than total reliance on the CMS output. Automation may also result in complacency.
3. For CP monitoring, sensors need to be regularly calibrated, and the system checked to ensure full protection.
4. Data requires to be both CHECKED and reviewed.
5. ACT will have double impact – ACT on what the data has shown and ACT on how the data was gathered.

Future Application of P-D-C-A and Corrosion
Monitoring

The working world has changed dramatically over the last two years due to Covid and there has been a significant change in Engineers’ working patterns and methods of project study and delivery. This has also combined with a move towards remote and automated inspection and monitoring, however, the speakers were keen to stress that if the PLANNING Stage is not implemented correctly, then wholesale automation of integrity systems is not always helpful, as automated systems will follow ‘Garbage In Garbage Out’ scenarios, Specialist input is always required. (Editor: Readers should note that a longer technical article on this topic appears later in this issue of the magazine).

Both these very engaging presentations generated many questions from the audience that were expertly responded to by the speakers, and all Q&A write-ups may be found on the branch webpage.
Slides of technical papers for branch events, along with their respective Q&A’s can be found at, ICorr Aberdeen Branch (google.com) under Local Technical Programme, Aberdeen Branch – Institute of Corrosion (icorr.org). A library of event recordings may also be found at: ICorr Aberdeen – YouTube.

It is also with our great pleasure to announce that Rysco International Inc. based in Alberta, Canada, has become the latest new sponsor of the branch, as well as becoming a GOLD sustaining member of ICorr. The branch is very grateful to all its sponsors for their continued support.

Finally, the branch is very sad to report the recent passing of Carol Anne Powell BSc., FIMMM, a long-term consultant to both the Nickel Development Institute and the Copper Development Association.
She had written over 40 papers and publications and been a member of our Partner Organisation the Marine Corrosion Forum (MCF), since its inception. During the recent COVID-19 epidemic as we were moving increasingly towards Webinar formats in April 2020, Carol greatly assisted us with an excellent presentation to our ICorr/MCF membership entitled ‘An Overview of the Corrosion of Metals in Seawater. In her memory, we would respectfully direct you to: https://marinecorrosionforum.co.uk/free-webinar-30%2F04%2F2020

Aberdeen Branch call for papers – Technical Session 2022 – 2023

The Aberdeen branch would like to invite you (or a colleague) to give a presentation during their 2022/2023 session. The events normally are held at 6 pm on the last Tuesday of the month from September till May 2023, excluding December 2022.

Topics on pressure systems, pipelines, renewables and structural integrity management with regards to the material selection, production chemistry, welding, corrosion/microbiological control and monitoring, inspection techniques and data analytics, are acceptable. Past case studies, project experiences, and emerging technologies have proved popular and interesting to members, and are particularly welcome.

The attendees (members and non-members) include students, technicians, technologists, engineers, scientists, researchers, managers, company directors and other professionals from the oil and gas, power generation, manufacturing and renewables sectors. Subsequently we would publish a report of the presentation in Corrosion Management magazine, and also on the ICorr, and Aberdeen website pages, including the presentation slides and Q&A session write-up. A recording of the event (if conducted online) will be uploaded to our YouTube channel later.

If interested, please supply the following including, speaker’s name, role and company, short biography of the speaker(s) (~ 150 words) and the proposed presentation title and an abstract (400 words), to the ICorr Aberdeen Branch Chair, Hooman Takhtechian, via htakhtechian@oceaneering.com and please also copy in icorrabz@gmail.com in your submission.

All the submitted presentations will be subject to a branch committee review and those successful will be scheduled into the 2022/2023 events programme. Please note that the deadline of the submission is

30th April, and the branch will confirm the successful presenters in May, and announce them in June.