Conventional approaches to integrity management are limited in that they are inherently reactive in their approach as corrosion is usually reported retrospectively and is merely averaged over time. This approach generally reinforces the pre-conceived impression that corrosion progresses constantly and uniformly. This view is in direct contrast to what occurs in real plant operating environments where corrosion is very rarely constant
and varies with plant operating condition. In order to address the
limitations inherent in conventional integrity management approaches, which are usually heavily reliant upon inspection activities, on-line real-time electrochemical noise measurement has been utilised on a variety of operating plants as this has facilitated proactive corrosion control. The technology has provided immediate feedback of when corrosion activity was high and would place certain critical plant process systems at risk. This paper discusses electrochemical noise technology on the basis of practical experiences gained within a variety of operating plants and how this may then be utilised as part of an overall integrity management system.