• Published: November 2018
• REF/ISBN: 9780852938607
• Edition: 1st
• Status: Current

Please note that an erratum was issued in December 2018 for this publication, it is available for download and present in both the sample pages and the full PDF. This change has been incorporated into the main PDF and is sent out as a loose-leaf sheet with any hard copy purchased.

This publication provides general principles and engineering guidance for the management of external corrosion and degradation of stainless steels in the offshore oil and gas environment. Some of the principles may also have relevance to onshore facilities.

Stainless steels (SS) are used widely within the oil and gas industry and they are selected primarily on account of their resistance to corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) from the process environment. However, the external environments to which equipment is exposed at offshore and coastal locations can be aggressive and cause corrosion and SCC of most grades of stainless steels.

The aims of this publication are to provide guidelines for the selection of stainless steels for resistance to external corrosion, for coating options to provide protection to stainless steels that are at risk from external corrosion in the marine atmosphere and to aid risk assessments for stainless steels already in service. Submerged service in seawater is not addressed in this document.

This document provides guidance on a risk-based approach for the management of stainless steels operating at a wide range of service temperatures.