State-of-the-art for the use of anti-corrosion coatings on buried pipelines in the natural gas industry. Topical report

As part of a program for the development of quantitative techniques for the prediction of the rate of disbonding of anti-corrosion coatings on buried natural gas pipelines, an assessment of the state-of-the-art for the use of pipeline coatings was performed. Information was gathered through questionnaires (one for pipeline operating companies and one for pipe coating applicators), interviews of pipeline company personnel, and a review of published literature. The natural gas industry's experience with in-service coating performance and practices for coating selection, application, inspection, and construction, as well as methods for monitoring the condition of the coatings in the ground, are reviewed. Topics including the influence of operating temperature and soil type on coating selection and performance, as well as the interaction between the pipeline companies and the coating applicators are discussed. A summary of the benefits which may accrue from an improved ability to select the optimum pipe coating, as expressed by the pipeline operating companies, is also presented.