Corrosion Control in the Oil and Gas Industry

Electronic Corrosion: An Invisible Enemy of Your Electronic Process Control Equipment

Are your control and switchgear rooms healthy?

The process parameters in a petrochemical facility are extremely critical because even a small malfunction can cause a tremendous loss in revenues. Petrochemical plants generate a large amount of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen oxide (NO₂), etc. Gases like chlorine (Cl₂) and ammonia (NH₃) are present in critical areas. The toxic gases generated inside petrochemical and oil refineries eat into critical electronic equipment housed in control rooms/switchgear rooms. 

Thus, it is essential for corrosion control in petrochemical industry to protect sophisticated electronic equipment.

Petrochemical industry can be segregated into two parts:

Vertically –  Petroleum refiners use their hydrocarbons to produce primary and intermediate petrochemical materials.

Horizontally – Firms that manufacture a family of related petrochemicals of similar types or for similar markets.

This industry was one of the first to go for computerisation of its process-controlled applications and one of the first to see the need for corrosion control of those electronic process controls.

Need of Corrosion Control in the Oil and Gas Industry

Creation of Contaminant Gases

The processes involved in the petrochemical production area generate sufficient quantities of corrosive gases such as hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide, other than many high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Chlorine and ammonia too are present in small concentrations. These hostile gases are ever present in these environments with their average outside ambient levels between 0.5 to 1 PPM.

Areas Need Gas Phase Filtration

• Distillation
• Catalytic cracking
• Desulphurisation
• Coke plant
• Oil by-products
• Tank farm
• Oil loading/handling areas
• Power generation plant

Methods for Corrosion Control in the Oil and Gas Industry in Control/MCC Rooms at Petrochemical Plants

In the case of rooms with very low movement of personnel coming in and out, only pressurisation with chemically cleaned air is sufficient. Provide from 3 to 6 air changes per hour, to attain approximately 2.5 to 5 mm WC positive pressure inside the room.

Rooms with high pedestrian traffic, such as Operator Control rooms would require air purification by recirculation mode in addition to air pressurisation. This is due to the absorption of contaminants on the clothes and body surfaces of plant personnel while attending to duties at the different process locations, which are generally highly contaminated. Such absorbed gases would immediately desorb upon entry to a relatively cleaner area.

Gas Phase Filtration System – The Most Effective Way of Removing Airborne Molecular Contamination

Bry-Air Gas Phase Filtration Systems protect electronic equipment and devices from the threat of abrupt failures due to corrosive gases. It reduces downtime by removing corrosive gases through the process of adsorption and chemisorption. It is designed to maintain the ANSI/ISA-71.04-2013 standard, IEC standards and various other environmental standards followed by electronics manufacturers.

These GPF systems also neutralise odourous gases and make the environment comfortable for humans. Also, Bry-Air’s solutions contribute to corrosion control in the oil and gas industry by efficiently removing harmful contaminants that can cause corrosion in sensitive equipment.

Bry-Air: A Step Ahead, Always

Bry-Air is the only Gas Phase Filtration Company in India having its own R&D and Testing Lab for granular media and chemical filters. Backed by world-class technology and systems, the laboratory is capable of testing the performance of impregnated/non-impregnated loose granular media and impregnated/non-impregnated air cleaning devices such as chemical filters, under one roof. The tests are conducted as per ISO/ASHRAE Standard 145.1 and BSR/ASHRAE Standard 145.2/ISO Standard 11155-2 guidelines. The core objectives of the tests are to assess the performance and efficiency of loose granular sorptive media and chemical filters in any particular application.

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