Any Pipeline Corrosion Engineers Out There?

[Soln]

I'm an EIT applying for a corrosion engineering position at a natural gas pipeline company. I imagine that this position will involve pipeline inspection, construction inspection, geotechnical investigation, integrity testing, cathodic protection design and testing... What else is involved? Does anybody suppose there will be any pipeline design? I'm just looking for insight before I go to the interview, thanks for your comments.

 

[stanweld]

Is this an operator/owner company or a construction company.

 

[Soln]

Operator / Owner

 

[rneill]

It will likely involve doing calculations to assess the remaining strength of corroded or damaged piping following inspection to determine if the pipe is still fit for service or whether repairs are required and if so, what repair.

 

[Soln]

That sounds like good experience. I'm trying to ensure broad exposure to engineering during the next 3-4 years while I work towards my PE. Thanks for your comment.

 

[brimmer]

You may get some design questions depending on what staff the operating company has. Some have department or staff dedicated to this, others depend on integrity department to fill in any gaps and review designs from eng service companies. You will also gain experience in coatings, and potentially ECDA, ICDA, & SCCDA. You may be involved in hydrotest programs, internal corrosion control programs (if products are corrosive). You also may gain experience in non-destructive testing techniques, other defect analysis such as dents/cracks etc. Pipeline integrity is very much its own discipline now, so taking a position like this depends on where you want to go in the future, because it is its own specialized area you might not get exposure to what you want, but if you want a career in corrosion or pipeline integrity, this would be good.

 

[Soln]

Do you suppose this experience would make me marketable to refineries, chemical plants, and/or mines which all use pipelines for varying purposes? Do you suppose this type of experience would increase my marketability to the previously mentioned industries in a general material engineering sense? Thanks for your insight - greatly appreciated!

 

[stanweld]

In the operator/owner firm that I worked for many years ago, the corrosion engineers were chiefly involved in cathodic protection design, verification and monitoring thereof. As staff metallurgist, I was responsible for pipe material specification, welding, inspection activities, testing,integrity evaluation, coatings evaluation and specification, internal corrosion evaluation and protection, fracture mechanics, failure analysis, bid estimations, etc.

Hopefully the position, for which you are applying, will be closer to your posting description.

Good luck.

 

[brimmer]

In a broad sense, more marketable yes, you will gain valuable expereince in oil/gas. In terms of details around materials, depends on the company. If it is strictly sweet gas transmission as opposed to full E&P operator, you may not get the exposure to material selection in pipeline and facilities in the same sense as refining or mining. You will gain some valuable background though.

 

[SJones]

'Integrity' was the key word in your posting. Pipeline Integrity Management is the buzz phrase of the moment (and hopefully for some time to come). Google the phrase and see what you find. As to whether you get to design a pipeline, we can't say; but, as integrity starts in design, you should be involved in design checking processes such as HAZID, HAZOP etc. If you are preparing for an interview, a basic grounding in pipeline regulations could be helpful.

http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/PipelineLibrary.htm?nocache=9896

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.oilandgaspeople.com/cv/11499664

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04

 

[Soln]

Thanks all for the terrific comments, and thanks SJones for the Pipeline Library Link. I studied it and book marked it, great source. I think the interview went well, this position includes ensuring the compliance of procedures, and federal standards, analyzing corrosion and CP system data, identifying corrosion hot spots, and developing methods to mitigate such risk.

Thanks again, very helpful feedback from everyone.