Crude unit overhead line corrosion is one of the most serious problems in oil refineries. Changes in
process, environmental conditions, or feedstock that lead to HCl condensation are the main causes of
overhead line corrosion. Although the sites where corrosion occurs are frequently known, they are
generally not accessible for routine wall thickness inspections without the use of scaffolding.
Furthermore, the high surface temperature often leads to high variability in the measurements with
traditional methods. Operators are able to adjust process parameters to minimize condensation or to
inject optimum amounts of neutralizers or filming amines if accurate wall loss measurements and
temperature profile data are available. Permanently installed, non-intrusive corrosion and process
monitoring tools, based on a fiber-optic sensor system, make such data available from a convenient,
remote location. Refinery operators benefit by having fiber optic sensors installed during operation and
by having ready access to information that increases safety and allows more efficient planning of
turnarounds.