Top-of-line (TOL) corrosion in large diameter wet gas pipelines in sweet (CO2) service has been reported as an issue in the oil and gas industry. TOL corrosion happens mainly in
stratified flow regime, when corrosive water phase condenses at the top of a pipeline. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that corrosion inhibitors used at the bottom of the line
cannot reach the top of the pipeline, making mitigation difficult. A good understanding of the effects of environmental parameters on TOL corrosion is important for corrosion prediction and
management. This paper presents an experimental study to determine the effects of condensation rate, temperature and CO2 partial pressure on sweet TOL corrosion.
Experimental results are presented to show that condensation rate and temperature are the key factors affecting sweet TOL corrosion, while CO2 partial pressure has a secondary effect
on sweet TOL corrosion.
Key words: Top of line corrosion, condensation, sweet corrosion