Abstract
This paper describes the corrosion control design for the exterior submerged and buried steel surfaces of the 2,850' (869 m) water depth Auger Tension Leg Platform structure. Each major type of component (hull, subsea marine wellhead/guidebase, tendon foundation template, tendon, and production riser) has its own combination of coating system and cathodic protection system designed for a thirty five year lifetime. Cathodic protection (CP) is achieved using a variety of sacrificial anode alloys and geometries (e.g. bracelet, flush-mount, and standoff anodes). Anode and cathode CP design parameters for each component depend upon water depth, and were developed using field test data, laboratory studies, field measurements on existing structures, and available literature information. CP design was performed using design spreadsheets constructed for each component, which optimized anode geometries. Extensive quality assurance efforts were part of the anode procurement process, to ensure performance for the intended life of the corrosion-control systems. Results of early in-service CP surveys of the tendons and guidebases are presented, showing the successful achievement of cathodic protection against seawater corrosion. Corrosion control of one additional system, the eight point lateral mooring system, is not addressed here.
