This paper discusses the challenges in providing cathodic protection for a pipeline located in so area with discontinuous permafrost. Specific challenges included: unknown effect of short regions of high-resistivity permafrost on cathodic protection, unknown time for the permafrost to melt out, unpredictable current distribution characteristics and wet, inaccessible terrain. Based on preliminary pipe-to-soil data, it appears that cathodic protection coverage was achieved in discontinuous permafrost regions without the need of local anodes. Future work is required to verify whether this conclusion can be extended over the course of an annual freeze-thaw cycle.
Keywords: discontinuous permafrost, thaw bulb, continuous anode, pipeline, cathodic protection.