Corrosion problems and their solutions in the oil refining industry

Many corrosion problems have occurred with related ecological damage, during the 90 years of the existence of the oil refining industry. Many corrosion problems have been solved. Some of them have not. Why? Sometimes corrosion damages occur at certain facilities, but nor at others. There are many corrosion experts, institutes and laboratories, corrosion magazines, books, standards, and conferences, etc. A lot of companies manufacture different materials and equipment for corrosion control. In spite of this, corrosion problems remain the main danger to the oil refining industry and to ecology. The aim of this work is to survey the corrosion situation at Oil Refineries LTD. Israel, during the past three years, in order to estimate cost of corrosion; to define the reasons for corrosion problems and to find effective measures to solve them, and, as a result, to improve reliability, availability and profitability at the refinery facilities. Every industry, even every plant, has its own distribution of corrosion phenomena that occur with different frequency. Even this distribution changes every year. The present corrosion survey gives estimation of direct corrosion loss at the facilities at Oil Refineries. Real examples of distribution of corrosion damages that occurred during the last three years as well as the solutions of their prevention in the future are given. Corrosion cases are classified according to corrosion forms. The distribution of corrosion forms changes every year. About 75% of all corrosion failures happened because of insufficient information and knowledge, as well as inadequate interaction among different groups responsible for the acceptance and approval of anti-corrosion decisions. The human factor was the main reason of corrosion failures. Corrosion management must be designed in such a manner that will increase human potential in performance of correct decisions. Examples of wrong use of corrosion control measures, such as corrosion inhibitors̀ type and their concentrations, alloys, coats, and technological regimes are given. Insufficient, or sometimes lack of use of corrosion monitoring methods result in a non-controlling corrosion situation. Indirect cost of corrosion is connected with the ecological impact on the environment, loss of expensive chemicals, a contamination of technological streams by corrosion products, loss of efficiency, overdesign and shutdowns. The corrosion risk is connected with environmental pollution by hazardous chemicals, fuels, and gases, resulting in possible fires and explosions, damage to people, animals, plants, air, soil and water. The causes of corrosion damage of aboveground storage tanks, pipes, heat exchangers, and other equipment, as well as preventative measures are analyzed. Most of the corrosion cost can be saved by means of correct use of existent corrosion control measures, dissemination of information and knowledge, and wide use of corrosion monitoring techniques. A model of interconnections of all groups at the Oil Refineries with the aim to diminish corrosion risk was suggested.