Deepwater Retrofits Cathodic Protection on Five Structures in 14 Days
10 January 2008
Deepwater corrosion's retrofit systems have been used in the Gulf of Mexico for over a decade, and there is no sign of their popularity letting up. With brownfield assets seeing new life, operators are anxious to keep them up and running. The original anodes are gone, and Deepwater's RetroPod anode system allows for speedy installation and reduced diver-intervention. The result is a safe and cost-effective solution.
In the month of December 2007, Deepwater Corrosion Services performed anode retrofits on five structures in 14 days. The platforms consisted of:
- Eight-pile in 176fsw (2.5 days)
- Eight-pile in 113fsw (2.75 days)
- Eight-pile in 111fsw (4 days)
- Four-pile in 111fsw (4 days)
- One-pile in 115fsw (5 days)
The work was accomplished utilizing a 210-foot four point boat, with divers. Divers essentially guide the RetroPod down to the bottom and apply the RetroClamp to the prescribed tubular (usually a diagonal near the sea-floor). The time-differences are due to some structures requiring minor scrapping, and to standby time caused by other operations being performed. There were a total of 94 anode pods positioned strategically around and inside the structures on-bottom.
The ease and simplicity of the system reduces divers' time on bottom (one pod can be installed in as little as one hour), and the diver is not required to interface with any heavy loads in the water (as they are using clamp-on anode replacements). The innovative RetroClamp system, allows the pod to be clamped and electrically connected to the diagonal member, completing the circuit necessary for the cathodic protection system to begin polarizing the structure. The RetroClamp can be installed by diver or ROV (divers in this case).
