Corrosion risk assessment and safety management for offshore processing facilities

There is general acceptance by the offshore oil and gas industry that corrosion is an important safety issue. This study deals with the development of a high level risk based corrosion strategy for offshore topside processing facilities. The project was conceived as a pilot study to establish the basic requirements for a corrosion risk management and assessment approach to oil field production and transportation equipment. The work was carried out in close collaboration with HSE and also involved discussions with a cross-section of oil industry specialists based in Aberdeen. The underlying aim throughout was to identify the requirements for guidelines that would combine best practice from health and safety management, corrosion management and asset integrity management. The approach adopted takes into account the offshore regulations and the risk control systems highlighted in the HSE publication Successful Health and Safety Management. The main conclusion of the work is that the development of such corrosion risk guidelines is feasible and would be welcomed by the industry. The way forward proposed is the compilation, with the co-operation of industry, of an HSE Offshore Corrosion Information Pack containing initially the following items: Guidelines on Corrosion Management and Risk Assessment for Offshore Processing Facilities. Management of Oil Industry Corrosion Corrosion Risk Assessment-industrial Case Studies. Health and Safety Verification and Corrosion Management for Offshore Processing. At the appropriate stage it is recommended that consideration should be given to the possible application of the Information Pack to other areas of corrosion risk such as pipelines, refineries etc. which have similar corrosion hazards. (author)