Cathodic protection of a large-diameter pipe line transporting crude oil from West Texas to refineries located near the Houston Ship Channel presented many problems. The asphalt and coal tar enamel coated line was constructed of thin-wall, prestressed pipe. It traversed terrain with widely-varying characteristics, numerous road and river crossings, intersecting pipe lines and parallel lines in a common right-of-way. Distributed sources of limited current drainage combined with unidirectional bonds were desirable for protection in congested rights-of-way and metropolitan areas in order to minimize adjacent structure interference. Most of the cathodic protection installation was completed by the time the line was placed in operation. Installing protective units in locations convenient to pumping stations permitted cooperative inspection and maintenance by operating personnel. It was estimated that 99.9 per cent of the trunkline piping was effectively insulated. A regular inspection schedule provides records for evaluating the efficiency of the protection and predicting any decline.
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March 1955
Research Article|
March 01 1955
Cathodic Protection Applied To a Large-Diameter Oil Pipe Line System*
D. O. Griffith
D. O. Griffith
*Shell Pipe Line Corp., Houston, Texas.
DEAN O. GRIFFITH—Area Corrosion Engineer, Shell Pipe Line Corp., Houston. He majored in chemical engineering at Kilgore College and Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College, while engaged in field work with Magnolia Pipe Line Co., Longview, Texas. Employment with Shell in 1942 was interrupted by three years' service as an aircraft maintenance officer. Corrosion assignments have covered all phases of Pipe Line work including construction of major lines.
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CORROSION (1955) 11 (3): 53–56.
