This paper presents a case study of corrosion related gas compressor vibration problem observed
at one of Saudi Aramco gas compression plants. Investigation revealed that the high vibration was
mainly due to corrosion product deposition on the compressor internals. Accumulation of the solids on
the compressor rotor caused high vibration and consequently tripped the compressor. The corrosion
products were characterized by photometric and potentiometric analyses, Inductive Couple Plasma
(ICP), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and their morphology was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy
(SEM). The analytical data and the corrosion rate monitoring history indicated that minor corrosion is
taking place upstream of the affected compressors. It was concluded that the main source of corrosion
product is the upstream facilities. The paper has shed light on the root cause of the problem and
discussed the lab analyses and the different experimental techniques used to determine the nature of the
corrosion products. The paper also addresses the short and long term recommendations that were
proposed to prevent future failures.
Keywords: corrosion, products, gas compressor, vibration, rotor, lab analysis, experimental, procedure,
corrosion control