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Horizontal Directional Drilling for a Middle East Tank Retrofit

In a recent Tanks & Terminals article, Ted Huck discusses a tank cathodic protection retrofit project in the Middle East utilizing horizontal directional drilling technology.

Existing tanks pose several challenges that must be considered when looking to install cathodic protection, since access directly below the tank is not readily available.

Originally constructed in 1995, the original design of this critical service ethylene storage tank included a cathodic protection system to protect the external tank bottom in contact with the ground. Over time, the system stopped providing enough current to meet NACE criteria for the control of corrosion. 

Discrete Anodes Along the Tank Perimeter Not Satisfactory

The first retrofit cathodic protection system consisted of installing discreet anodes around the perimeter of the tank. While relatively easy to install, this method of retrofit installation often struggles to drive current to the full tank bottom. The results were not satisfactory so another method was needed.

Linear Anodes Installed Using Horizontal Directional Drilling

MATCOR had proposed an alternate approach, successfully being performed in the US but not tried previously in the Middle East. It involves the installation of multiple strings of linear anodes directly below the tank using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology. By drilling under the tank, it is possible to install anodes spanning the entire length of the tank. This method also allows for a testing device to measure the effectiveness of the cathodic protection system.

Click below to read the full article regarding this tank retrofit cathodic protection system, installed successfully in December 2019.

Read the Full Article

If you have questions, or for information on MATCOR’s above ground storage tank cathodic protection solutions, please contact us at the link below.

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