To enhance the approach and methodology of the External Corrosion Direct Assessment (ECDA)
process, integration into integrity management software provides an opportunity to optimize ECDA.
Manual analysis of a large system data set often results in complex and multifarious determinations of
ECDA feasibility, indirect inspection tool selection, and ECDA region identification, as these steps
frequently amount to thousands of determinations. Integrity management software with the ability to
dynamically segment pipelines into analysis segments provide for a powerful and efficient means of
ECDA analysis. Based on user specified criteria, these software platforms substantially reduce
analysis time, while reducing the potential for human error associated with manual analysis. Results
analysis of modified criteria and rerunning the analysis is relatively simple to achieve the desired
determinations.
As most pipeline operators are currently doing some form of risk analysis, and considerable amount of
risk analysis data is common to ECDA analysis, integration of the ECDA process into integrity
management software allows for a cost effective means of leveraging existing risk data. Integrity
management software which has incorporated a predominantly automated integration of cathodic
protection (CP) data collection further facilitates efficiencies and cost savings. The combination of
these systems allows for the improvement of integrity management in that more resources can be
allocated to results analysis and decision making rather than data integration, correlation and
processing.
Key words: ECDA, CP, NACE, asset - integrity management software, Preassessment, Indirect
Inspection, Direct Examination, Post Assessment, PHMSA, DOT, IMP, ICDA, SCCDA, ECDA Region,
CIS, ACDG, DCDG, ACCA, PCM, GPS, Classification, criteria, prioritization