Cathodic protection for pipelines crossing the Mackenzie River at Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6674472

Wiskel, B J ^[1]; Wozniewski, A ^[2]

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1. Commonwealth Seager Group, 1, 29225 10th Avenue N.E., Calgary, Alberta T2A 5L4 (CA)
2. Esso Resources Canada Ltd., 339 50th Avenue S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2G 2B3 (CA)

This paper reports on an oil production facility at Norman Wells, N.W.T. The production is centered around the Mackenzie River with oil being produced from wells located on natural and artificial islands as well as from wells located on the mainland. Pipelines have been installed beneath the river to route production from the islands back to the central processing plant on the mainland. Cathodic protection was required for the pipelines crossing the Mackenzie River to prevent external corrosion in an environmentally sensitive area. Several difficulties were encountered in preparing an optimum cathodic design due to the unique production scheme, permafrost and logistical problems associated with the northern location. An innovative approach was therefore required for the design, installation and testing of the cathodic protection system. This paper describes evolution of the cathodic protection system from a conventional one to a system utilizing a close groundbed concept and unique current return path.

• OSTI ID: 6674472
• Report Number(s): CONF-890437-
• Resource Relation: Conference: Corrosion '89, New Orleans, LA (USA), 17-21 Apr 1989; Other Information: Technical Paper 89302
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
CANADA
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
OIL WELLS
PIPELINES
CATHODIC PROTECTION
DESIGN
CORROSION PROTECTION
NORTH AMERICA
WELLS
022000* - Petroleum- Transport
Handling
& Storage
360105 - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
423000 - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)
420205 - Engineering- Transport & Storage Facilities- (1980-)