The oil industry has many high value hydrocarbon applications requiring corrosion rate monitoring for real-time problem solving and control. Electrochemical techniques are capable of high resolution, instantaneous determination of corrosion rate in aqueous (conductive) environments, but if incorrectly applied in the presence of hydrocarbons, their performance is limited, generally problematical and often unreliable.
The industry also seeks improved working life of sensors without significantly compromising performance. Metal loss technology exists today that provides either high sensitivity but with short life, or conversely, long life but with substantially reduced sensitivity. The paper discusses the limitations of existing on-line technologies and describes the performance of a new, emerging, technology which the authors believe promises unrivaled sensitivity combined with long sensor life.
Key words: Metal loss technology, high resolution, plant life sensor, spool applications