CASE STUDY
14 Years on – Inspection of Oil pipes in Middle East
Buried Coatings
Project Data
| Location | Middle East |
| Products | Densopol 80 HT™ Tape |
| Date | 1998 |
Project Details
The photograph shows a 36 inch diameter pipe exhumed after a period of 14 years service, for routine inspection by a Middle Eastern oil company (for security reasons we are not permitted to disclose any details as to the owner/operator of the pipeline).
The pipes were protected against corrosion with a double wrapping of Densopol 80HT™ Tape. This product was specially designed to deal with the very aggressive conditions associated with the “Sabkha” soil beds found in this part of the world.
Typically in this area the salt content of the soil is ±3 00gms/litre. The degree of moisture present in the ground is evident from the photograph and soil resistivities can be as low as 20Ohm-Cm. Ambient temperatures in the summer reach in excess of 40°C. The operating temperature of these pipes is in the region of +40°C to +60°C.
Once the tape was removed (after considerable effort by the inspection team) the condition of the pipe was found to be as good as the day it was wrapped.
Inspection of the pipeline involved removal of the Densopol 80HT™ Tape after 14 years buried in highly corrosive soil conditions
