Cathodic Protection

Vision Integrity can perform a variety of services, including engineering assessments, to advise on the optimal solution that meets legislative requirements and to provide systematic methods that lower risk rankings on external corrosion.

Cathodic Protection is a key element to ensuring the safe operation of steel pipelines. It is a regulatory and code compliance requirement that pipelines have an external corrosion mitigation program in place. It is also a compliance requirement that cathodic protection systems are maintained and monitored. Cathodic Protection is a proven and cost-effective method to prevent infrastructure failures arising from metal loss. The regulatory bodies of AER, CER, and PHMSA have delivered notices to pipeline operators of the distinction between effective Cathodic Protection and excessive Cathodic Protection, which may promote stress corrosion cracking. This is an important consideration for older pipelines.

What we do

Vision Integrity can perform a variety of services including engineering assessment to advise on the optimal solution to meet legislative requirements and to provide systematic methods to lower risk rankings on external corrosion. We can be tasked to engage in the design of the facilities such as pipelines and structures for Cathodic Protection design, maintenance, repairs and engineering assessments. Vision Integrity has completed projects for temporary sacrificial anodes to large impressed current ground beds.

Monitoring

While onsite inspections are recommended, the location may not be easily accessible and Vision Integrity can advise on remote monitoring and also utilize Cathodic Protection data from related locations based on engineering methods to address the hard to access locations. In recent years, remote monitoring has been increasingly popular due to its low cost and live data, VIE has experience in the selection of the remote monitoring hardware and can be delegated to monitor Cathodic Protection for any issues on behalf of clients.

Depending upon the provincial jurisdiction the frequency of cathodic protection system inspection can vary but in general, systems are surveyed annually.

Where Does Cathodic Protection Apply?

The regulatory bodies of the AER (Alberta) and CER (inter-provincial) require that CP systems are surveyed annually in order to maintain code compliance. However, in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, pipeline operators may structure their cathodic monitoring programs with a risk-based approach.

Risk-Based Monitoring

Vision Integrity can provide a risk-based approach to Cathodic Protection monitoring through the application of engineering principles and industry experience to create cost-effective solutions. By assessing the likelihood and consequence of a pipeline failing from external corrosion, Vision Integrity can help identify Cathodic Protection related issues while reducing long term monitoring costs.

Inspections

Inspections are mandated for pipelines and their compliance require interpretation of the Cathodic Protection readings with considerations for many other factors such as foreign bonds, soil resistivity and related environmental changes, construction methods and other key factors such as coating condition, high voltage alternating current interference. Inspections can identify issues such as areas of low potential which may be an indicator susceptibility for external corrosion, 3^rd party damage, foreign tie-in, electrolytic and electrical shorts and other related Cathodic Protection issues.

Reporting

Reports are provided in sufficient detail to meet client and regulatory concerns; all reports are discussed with clients and are organized as per defined requirements. VIE has cloud sharing capabilities to share and store all reports.

Reports are issued timely, and deficiencies clearly identified.