Outer Cover Damages on Flexible Pipes: Corrosion and Integrity Challenges

According to published statistics for flexible pipes, penetrating holes in outside covers of flexible pipes is one of the most frequent damage mechanisms. The corrosion and fatigue performances of tensile and pressure armour wires are directly influenced by the fluids in the pipe wall annulus. There are several incidents where cover damages have led to serious pipe failures. In this perspective the best strategy is to avoid cover damage, but for those cases where damage occurs it is essential to have systems in place for early detection, as well as capabilities for repair. Holes in the outside cover can create a range of different conditions in an annulus depending on location of the hole, configuration of the pipe and service conditions. CO2 driven corrosion in a confined water filled annulus has been investigated extensively and reported by several authors to give very low corrosion rates. However, the environments that armour wires are exposed to in certain parts of an annulus may differ significantly from confined water with CO2. One obvious example is the region around a penetrating hole in the outer cover where there may be repeated ingress of oxygenated seawater or air that mix with CO2 in the annulus. Such environments could cause high corrosion rates that may explain some observed failures. In many cases it is difficult to quantify the annulus environments precisely and suitable corrosion models have not been established. The consequences are large uncertainties in the prediction of corrosion type and rate, giving challenges for integrity assessment. This paper will identify and discuss unresolved corrosion issues related to outer cover damage linking it to field experience. Needs for developing further knowledge and models will be addressed. Efficient and reliable methods for repair of outer cover damage that can be mobilized soon are essential for restoring the integrity of pipes with damages to outer covers.