0423882 Urquidi-Macdonald The oil and gas industry, as well as environmental and transportation industries, rely heavily on the integrity of their pipeline systems and underground storage containers. These systems are largely threatened by localized corrosion, which could lead to contamination of the neighboring environment and, possibly, a threat to national security if the pipelines were located and accessible to terrorists. This research will be used to develop new techniques based on low impedance spectroscopy to detect external corrosion activity in underground pipelines. The techniques to monitor internal corrosion in underground pipeline systems and storage tanks will be developed jointly with a Mexican team of researchers, and the results will lead to building a smart monitoring system in the near future. The activity will include graduate students and a summer US-Mexico exchange program of senior research personnel through short courses and field activities with oil industry operators. A US-Mexican Team of experts on gas and oil industry transmission problems will be developed by means of researching the following areas jointly: (a) Reviewing and establishing the change of corrosion mechanisms in environments simulating conditions of the condensate phase of crude oil containing CO2 (.sweet.), H2S (.sour.), NaCl and dissociation products transported in pipeline systems: (b) In situ (in the field) electrochemistry measurements (DC and AC impedance) to associate the field experiments to the laboratory experiments in order to extrapolate laboratory results in real condition experiments; (c) Developing a prototype that will evaluate and characterize different electrochemical processes occurring in pipelines affected by internal and external corrosion; and (d) Mapping the data collected by a pattern recognition data mining model to the steps that the pipeline operator will follow to maintain the integrity of the system. The requirements for imbedding the data acquisition and model in a simple sensor-prototype will be one of the products of this research. The long-term objective is to develop a tool that will be economical, accurate, and easy to use. This tool will instruct pipeline operators in the steps to follow to maintain the integrity and health of the systems. It is anticipated that the cooperation between the two countries will continue and will benefit not only the graduate and undergraduate students teaming in this research effort, but the environment and safety of the operators in the gas and oil industry. This research effort will also strengthen the scientific and community relations between the two countries by developing a better and safer work place.
