Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) on Pipeline Girth Welds under Heat Shrink Sleeves: Saudi Aramco Case Study
Proceedings Publication Date
Presenter
Ahmad Al Saif
Presenter
Company
Author
Nauman Tehsin, Ahmad Al Saif
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Abstract

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) on buried pipelines results from simultaneous presence of tensile stress, corrosive environment, and material that is susceptible to SCC. Industry guidelines such as Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) SCC recommended practice (3rd edition) has specified that in determining the susceptibility of a pipeline segment to SCC, it is important to consider not only the mainline coating but also the coating applied to the girth welds. There have been cases where the majority of the pipe has been protected by a mill-applied coating that remains bonded but where the joints have exhibited SCC because of failure of the field-applied girth weld coating. CEPA further states that some of the SCC has been found beneath the girth weld shrink sleeves. In this Paper, Saudi Aramco presents a practical case study where multiple SCC colonies with axial cracking were reported at the girth welds and heat affected zone (HAZ) coated with heat shrink sleeves on the 30-inch liquid pipeline which was built in the mid 1980’s. These SCC colonies were discovered during the Ultrasonic Crack Detection (UTCD) In-Line-Inspection (ILI) of pipeline. The outcome from this case study are being used in developing the SCC integrity management plans of pipelines.

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