MATCOR Successfully Commissions Pipeline CP and AC Mitigation System
June 2011 – MATCOR recently completed a project to design, furnish and install cathodic protection and AC Mitigation for a new 7.7 mile long 16 inch diameter, fusion bonded epoxy coated carbon steel pipeline.
The pipeline is being built to supply natural gas to a new gas fired power plant under construction. The pipeline route runs parallel to a high voltage transmission line for approximately 3.2 miles.
The cathodic protection system consisted of a single deep well anode system utilizing MATCOR’s proprietary Mini-Deep™ Deep Well Anode System. MATCOR’s Mini-Deep™ Anode system utilizes a continuous mixed metal oxide (MMO) coated titanium wire anode which provides:
- Better Performance
- Longer & Consistent Operation
- Lower Installation Cost than conventional discreet anode systems
Unlike conventional anodes that are field assembled from component parts, MATCOR’s systems is factory assembled and ready to reel down hole once the drilling operation is completed. This anode system has been used extensively in Texas and throughout the United States.
The AC Mitigation Solution
MATCOR achieved the AC Mitigation solution by using the MITIGATOR™ another propriety product developed by MATCOR.
The MITIGATOR™ is the industries first engineered gradient control system utilizing a copper-grounding conductor packaged in a special corrosion inhibited grounding backfill. 1,000 feet of MITIGATOR™ was installed at the entrance and exact points of the HVAC collocation and connection to the pipeline.
While modeling is often used for predicting and mitigating induced AC along pipelines in shared rights-of-way with HVAC transmission lines, MATCOR used a qualitative design approach to evaluate the areas of greatest concern, installed mitigation at those locations and evaluated the results foregoing the costly and timely consuming modeling process.
This approach made economic sense for the short and relatively simple collocation for this project.
Prior to commissioning of the AC Mitigation system, AC Potential along with the new pipeline pipeline were observed to be as high as 108 Vac. With the AC Mitigation installed, the observed potentials were reduced significantly by 99% to less than 1.2 Vac – well below the levels of concern for personnel safety and AC induced corrosion.
The successful application of cathodic protection and AC Mitigation provides the new pipeline with Integrity that Works.
