In recognition of CCUS’s pivotal role in industrial decarbonisation and the broader global effort to reduce atmospheric CO₂ emissions, particular emphasis is placed on the critical importance of CO₂ pipeline transportation. Dense-phase CO₂ pipelines has dominated the landscape of commercial projects and designs due to hydraulic efficiency and economical constraints. However gaseous-phase transport is increasingly considered as a key part of the value chain, particularly for repurposed assets and onshore short-distance applications. This paper acknowledges that while much research has been conducted to tackle integrity threats in dense phase applications, data for gaseous applications remain sparse.
Considering the role and influence of contaminants originated from man-made processes, this paper reviews the occurrence of integrity threats in gaseous applications, namely internal corrosion and Environmentally-Assisted Cracking (EAC) and the key issue of long running ductile fracture. Recommendations are provided for phase-specific integrity management and fracture control strategies. Key comparisons between gaseous and dense phase are highlighted. The paper highlights key gaps and identifies where “engineering judgement” can be inferred / extrapolated from other industry applications (e.g., dense-phase).