18 January 2006
DHAHRAN - The combination of acid gases and moisture in sour natural gas can corrode pipelines and equipment from the inside out. Saudi Aramco has been injecting corrosion inhibitors in these pipelines for years to combat corrosion. But standard gas sampling techniques are inadequate to detect and measure corrosion inhibitors entrained in sour gas streams. Until recently, the company had no way to verify the presence of corrosion inhibitors in many segments of its sour-gas-gathering pipelines. So there was a need to verify that these pipelines are protected from corrosion, especially those in populated areas. Now Saudi Aramco has been granted patent No. 6,920,802 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new corrosion inhibitor sampling device and analytical method that answers the need. The patented innovation, titled "Adsorption Trap for the Detection of Surface-Active Agents in Gas Streams," was invented by Dr. Timothy D. Newbound of the Research and Development Center. "We wanted to avoid using complex apparatus, high-pressure gas containers and solvents in the field," Newbound said. "The procedure needed to be safe and simple enough for any technician to perform without extensive specialized training." Newbound's sampling apparatus was assembled from commercially available pipe-fittings, valves and filters. It is charged with porous silica gel, which retains the highly surface-active corrosion inhibitor while also acting as a gas-flow regulator. "This allows us to know how much gas was exposed to the adsorption media, and thus the concentration of the inhibitor residual can be determined," Newbound said. He said the same device is now also being used for measuring moisture in natural gas. The invention has been in use at Saudi Aramco since 1999 on some of the 60 or so sour-gas-gathering pipelines in the Eastern Province. It may not be long before others are using it. Several oil and gas service companies have expressed interest. Sharing some of the credit, Newbound said, "This project could not have been possible without participation from individuals in Pipelines, particularly Jaime Perez, the corrosion control engineer working in the Pipelines Specialist Engineering Unit."
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DHAHRAN - The combination of acid gases and moisture in sour natural gas can corrode pipelines and equipment from the inside out. Saudi Aramco has been injecting corrosion inhibitors in these pipelines for years to combat corrosion. But standard gas sampling techniques are inadequate to detect and measure corrosion inhibitors entrained in sour gas streams. Until recently, the company had no way to verify the presence of corrosion inhibitors in many segments of its sour-gas-gathering pipelines. So there was a need to verify that these pipelines are protected from corrosion, especially those in populated areas. Now Saudi Aramco has been granted patent No. 6,920,802 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new corrosion inhibitor sampling device and analytical method that answers the need. The patented innovation, titled "Adsorption Trap for the Detection of Surface-Active Agents in Gas Streams," was invented by Dr. Timothy D. Newbound of the Research and Development Center. "We wanted to avoid using complex apparatus, high-pressure gas containers and solvents in the field," Newbound said. "The procedure needed to be safe and simple enough for any technician to perform without extensive specialized training." Newbound's sampling apparatus was assembled from commercially available pipe-fittings, valves and filters. It is charged with porous silica gel, which retains the highly surface-active corrosion inhibitor while also acting as a gas-flow regulator. "This allows us to know how much gas was exposed to the adsorption media, and thus the concentration of the inhibitor residual can be determined," Newbound said. He said the same device is now also being used for measuring moisture in natural gas. The invention has been in use at Saudi Aramco since 1999 on some of the 60 or so sour-gas-gathering pipelines in the Eastern Province. It may not be long before others are using it. Several oil and gas service companies have expressed interest. Sharing some of the credit, Newbound said, "This project could not have been possible without participation from individuals in Pipelines, particularly Jaime Perez, the corrosion control engineer working in the Pipelines Specialist Engineering Unit."
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© Press Release 2006
