Title: The relationship betweenn smart pigging and increasing the likelihood of microbial corrosion in pipelines

Biography:

Reza Javaherdashti holds a double degree in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering with a PhD in Corrosion and expertise in microbial corrosion. He has more than 20 years of industrial and academic experience. Dr. Reza isan approved instructor of ASME and SPE. In addition, He has more than 5000 hours of training industries around the globe about corrosion and microbial corrosion. He has also theorised corrosion knowledge management and have taught it globally to industries.   Dr. Javaherdashti has several numbers of published papers in internationally recognised journals and books published by    publishes n such as Elseviers, Springer and CRC Press/Taylor& Francis and Wiley.

Abstract

A very efficient way to remove the debris collected with a pipeline is by pigging it. Use of intelligent pigs are also a very “smart” option for line pipe operators as this will allow them to also locate the location of defects (pitting). However good, intelligent pigging (or, as alternatively also called, smart pigging) does have some very serious shortcomings especially when it comes to the detection of the early stages of pitting induced by microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).
Some of these shortcomings are:

1) Smart pigs cannot detect pinholes. On the other hand, pinholes are characteristic of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC),
2) Intelligent pigs have been suspected of increasing the risk of hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) by 60%,
3) By enhancing EMIC (electrical microbiologically influenced corrosion) mechanisms, they may help magnetise corrosion –related bacteria (such as sulphate reducing bacteria-SRB) and result in typical corrosion rates of about 36 MPY.

In this presentation, the above points will be briefly explained. The aim of this presentation is to warn pipeline operators about probable cons of intelligent pigging in addition to their undeniable pros.