the conductors are electrically shorted to

Cathodic Protection the surface casing. Under this condition,

CP will prevent corrosion only on the
external surface of the conductor (the
outermost casing in the string and the

of Well Casings in
liner) to a depth that is largely restricted
by the attenuation of protective current.
The annulus between the conductor and
surface casing relies on cement for corro-
sion protection. Figure 1 shows a typical

Abu Dhabi
well casing configuration.
CP is only a part of the owner’s corro-
sion prevention and rehabilitation pro-
gram. Other important aspects of that
program include high-quality cementing
DAVID H. KROON AND GERALD D. WILLIAMS, Corrpro Companies, Inc. in the annulus between concentric cas-
ALI N. MOOSAVI, Abu Dhabi Co. for Onshore Operations ings, continuation of the surface casing
inspection and repair program, and pre-
vention of surface water leaks that increase
An oil company based in U.A.E. needed to upgrade the corrosiveness of the environment near
its external corrosion protection systems on more the top of the well.
than 1,300 well casings. In 2001, Front-End Engineering
Design (FEED) work for cathodic protection (CP) was Cathodic Protection
completed, which covered the operational wells in five CP is an important part of the well
casing corrosion protection program. To
production fields. The FEED scope included a literature advance the program, in 2001 the owner
search, field studies, CP current attenuation modeling, retained a corrosion consultant (Corrpro
evaluation of flowline considerations, life-cycle cost Companies, Inc. [Medina, Ohio]) under
analyses of alternative designs and materials, basic the contract “Front-End Engineering
design, and cost estimates. Final design work began in Design (FEED) for Cathodic Protection
2002 and construction started in 2003. This article of Well Casings.” The scope of the work
included:
describes the results of the study, the design, and initial • Technical Evaluation and Report
phases of construction. • Site Survey and Report
• Economic Evaluation and Report
• Conceptual Design Report

T
he Abu Dhabi Co. for On- • Basic Engineering Design and Docu-
shore Operations (ADCO) mentation
(Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.) oper- • Engineer, Procure, and Construct
ates ~$5 billion of down- (EPC) Contract Tender Preparation
hole assets with a desired • Presentations to the owner.
operating life of 100 years. The economic evaluation was per-
Very high rates of well cas- formed to evaluate CP alternatives from
ing corrosion threaten the life of these both a techno-economic and sensitivity
assets. Problems related to casing corro- perspective. This analysis was supported
sion were first detected in 1983 during by cost estimates for initial capital expen-
the workover of an oil well. It was found diture, operating expenditures, and main-
that the completion string was corroded tenance costs. Specific items addressed
throughout the area of the pay zone. were:
Cathodic protection (CP) is the only • Utilization of existing surface CP
means for mitigating external corrosion equipment
on the existing well casings in situ. Electri- • Best use of existing power sources
cal continuity data suggest that 81% of • Feasibility of integrating the flow-
18 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE August 2004

AUG 2004 MP pp 1-57.indd 18 7/13/04 11:34:12 AM

 FIGURE 1

lines into the CP system scheme for

the well casings
• Cost differences between permanent
alternating current (AC) power and
solar power for impressed current CP
• Economic implications of a “blan-
ket” current requirement for all wells,
compared to estimating optimum cur-
rent for each well based upon type,
location, geological formations, depth,
E log I testing, and casing potential
logs.
Life-cycle cost analyses were performed
for various CP design alternatives with the
following results:
• Air-cooled transformer-rectifiers are
the most economical power source at
locations with existing AC power.
• Surface anode groundbeds are the Typical well casing configuration.
most economical and should be used
at all locations where soil conditions
(resistivity and stability) are suitable. FIGURE 2
• Mixed metal oxide (MMO) anodes
are the most economical.
• Closed-hole deep-anode groundbeds
are more economical than open-hole
deep-anode groundbeds because the
latter present a combination of higher
drilling costs and the need for special
casing.
• The installation of a new 33-kV AC
power supply for the sole purpose of
providing CP to the well casings is not
economically viable when compared
to solar power.
• Economic analysis indicates that all
available existing AC power sources
should be used in conjunction with
transformer-rectifier-powered CP
systems.
• Costs for installing and maintaining
electrical isolation between the well- E log I test data interpretation.
heads and flowlines are significantly
higher than providing partial CP to the
flowlines. In addition, an integrated
system has technical and economical well casings are electrically continuous vided with CP in an isolated condition.
benefits. with flowlines and station piping. One Under ideal conditions, it is desirable
approach for the corrosion prevention to electrically isolate the well casing from
Electrical Isolation program is to provide CP to the well cas- the flowline and provide a bond box
The well casings are connected to sur- ings, flowlines, and station piping as a across the isolator to control current flow
face-level flowlines that ultimately ter- fully integrated system. Another approach to both the flowline and well casing. This
minate at remote and central degassing is to electrically isolate the flowline at the approach provides the best control for
stations. As originally constructed, the wellhead so that the casing can be pro- distributing protective current between
August 2004 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE 19

AUG 2004 MP pp 1-57.indd 19 7/13/04 11:34:20 AM

 FIGURE 3

effective as a long-term solution. Over

time, the owner’s experience has been that
maintaining the integrity of electrical
isolation is an extensive maintenance
problem. The high cut of low-resistivity
water may make effective CP of well cas-
ings impossible to achieve. Internal cor-
rosion cells also would be introduced
because a potential difference would exist
across the isolation spools. The owner
therefore adopted a CP program that in-
tegrates systems for well casings, flowlines,
and station piping.

Well Casing Current

Requirements
The primary CP criterion chosen for
the well casings was applied protective
Downhole CD on 9-in. (23-cm) casing. current. The decision was based on NACE
Standard RP0186,1 “Application of Ca-
thodic Protection for External Surfaces of
Steel Well Casings,” which states “The CP
FIGURE 4
current applied to well casings shall be
considered adequate when measurements
indicate that a net flow of current to the
casing has eliminated all anodic areas.”
The specific current criterion was devel-
oped with information obtained from:
• Casing potential profile logs
• E-log I test results
• Current density (CD) calculations
• Current attenuation modeling.
The authors selected a secondary CP
criterion for surface equipment, the top of
the well casing, and the flowline. The crite-
rion provided a 100-mV polarization shift
between native state to polarized potential
with respect to a copper/copper sulfate
(Cu/CuSO4) reference electrode placed at
least 5 m from the wellhead. The polarized
potential is to be recorded as an “instant-
Deep-anode installation. off” potential measured immediately after
interruption of the CP current flow.
Thirty-seven E-log I tests (Figure 2)
were performed. The current require-
the well casing and the flowlines. At the duced water exhibits very low resistivity ments, as defined by the E-log testing,
same time, it overcomes the interference (5 to 10 Ω-cm). ranged from a low of 12 A to a high of 18
effects with the flowline and nearby well Using flange isolation to isolate flow- A per well casing. The overall average
casings when only isolated well casings are lines from the wellheads has proven inef- value of the current requirement for CP
protected. For the project in question, this fective on water supply, water injection, of the well casings was 14.8 A.
option was not economical because the and oil-producing wells in these fields. Based on his previous experience in
water-cut in production ranges from 10 Internally coated spool pieces also have North America, the consultant for the
to 20% and increases over time; the pro- been used, but they were found to be in- project assumed that the nominal CD for
20 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE August 2004

AUG 2004 MP pp 1-57.indd 20 7/13/04 11:34:30 AM

 FIGURE 5

CP of well casings is ~0.5 mA/ft2 (4.6 mA/

m2). This relatively low CD requirement
stems from the lack of oxygen at depth.
Because the subsurface geology and aquifer
waters in North America are relatively
less corrosive than those in Abu Dhabi, it
was estimated that the CD requirement for
CP would be from 0.5 and 1.0 mA/ft2
(4.6 to 9.3 mA/m2). The increase in current
demand would be needed to compensate
for the high-salinity waters.
CDs for protection were calculated
based upon results of the casing potential
profile logs for four wells. The results in-
dicated a range of CDs from 0.57 mA/ft2
(5.3 mA/m2) to 0.85 mA/ft2 (7.9 mA/m2),
with an average value of 0.76 mA/ft2 (7.1
mA/m2). They were within the antici-
pated range. Surface-anode installation.
One of the controlling factors in well
casing CP is current attenuation, which
occurs downhole along the casing. Cur-
rent attenuation was therefore modeled system at the wellhead needs to provide oxygen evolution and chlorine evolution.
using standard attenuation formulas. To sufficient current for protection of the Hence it is important that the oxide coat-
perform the attenuation calculations, the well casing. Moreover, it needs to supply ing be a combination of iridium and
subsurface geology was researched. For an incremental amount of current to pro- tantalum oxides—and not the more com-
each formation, depths and total dissolved tect the associated flowline. Recommend- mon (and less expensive) ruthenium oxide
solids were extracted from available lit- ed capacities were 20 A for single-well, designed for use under chlorine evolution
erature. solar-powered systems and 25 A for sin- conditions. The tubular shape is superior
The pore water resistivity declines with gle-well, transformer-rectifier-powered to rods or mesh because a low-resistance,
increasing depth to 7,000 ft (2,134 m). systems. well-sealed wedge connector can be
Dolomite exists below 7,000 ft, and it Another controlling factor for deep- placed at the center of the anode for con-
causes a significant increase in soil resistiv- anode CP installations is that the current necting the anode lead wires. The consul-
ity. The calculations indicate that CDs output per deep anode should be limited tant considered Halar† lead wire insula-
>0.77 mA/ft2 (7.2 mA/m2) will be achieved to 50 A. When operated at higher cur- tion preferable to either high-molecular-
on the 9 5/8-in. (24.4-cm) casing to a rents, deep-anode CP systems often expe- weight polyethylene or Kynar† because
depth of 7,000 ft with 15 A of CP current rience shortened life from cable connec- one of the anticipated anodic reactions is
(Figure 3). tion failures, gas blocking, or elevated chlorine evolution. Lead wires from indi-
Documentation showed that the best temperatures resulting from high current vidual anodes extended, without splices,
tool for determining the well casing cur- flows. As a result, a maximum of two wells from the anode to a junction box for both
rent requirements for CP is the casing can be protected with one deep-anode surface and deep-anode groundbeds.
potential profile log. The owner intends installation—provided that the direct cur- Four anode configurations were se-
to perform more logs, both before and rent (DC) cable run for the power supply lected. Two are deep anodes for either a
after CP application, to refine the current to each well is ≤500 m (1,640 ft). one- or two-well cluster, and two are sur-
criterion to be used for well casing CP. At face anodes for either a one- or two-well
the present time, the owner follows a 15- Anode Systems cluster. In the case of deep anodes, the
A current criterion. This value is sup- The MMO-coated titanium tubular depth to the top of the active anode col-
ported by the average results of the logs with a center connection was shown to be umn will vary by field to account for
and E-log I tests performed to date. Fur- the most economical anode material for variations in subsurface geology and
thermore, it is consistent with CD and the application in question. The MMO- depth to water. Surface anode configura-
current attenuation calculations. coated electrodes are used in both surface tions are used only in stable soils with low
Because the flowline will not be electri- and deep-anode configurations. The an-
cally isolated from the well casing, the CP odic reactions are anticipated to be both †
Trade names.

August 2004 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE 21

AUG 2004 MP pp 1-57.indd 21 7/13/04 11:34:37 AM

 FIGURE 6

ft (150 to 200 m) from the wellhead, and

a minimum separation of 246 ft (75 m)
from all buried metallic structures. The
basis for surface anode design was a layer
of soil whose resistivity was ≤200 Ω-cm,
which restricted the use of surface
groundbeds to sabkha areas. Surface
groundbeds were always selected where
soils were stable and met the resistivity
criterion. During the final design process,
however, it was not possible to determine
the depth to groundwater at each site ac-
curately.
The EPC project commenced in
October 2002, with a 31-month con-
struction schedule. For deep-anode instal-
lations, either truck-mounted or track-
240-W (0- to 24-V) solar array. mounted drill rigs were used. The depth
to groundwater had been estimated using
the best available information, but it was
unknown on a site-specific basis. It was
resistivities, limiting their use to sabkhas capacity to protect the well casing and to therefore necessary to monitor the drill
(small areas of low resistivity and high provide current for partial protection of stem resistance to the well casing when
chloride content). the flowlines. The systems are as follows: drilling the borehole to detect the pres-
• System No. 1—Transformer-recti- ence of saline groundwater accurately.
Power Supplies fier rated for single-well protection This procedure has proven to be effec-
The consultant recommended two using either deep-anode or surface- tive.
types of power supplies: a transformer- anode configurations
Construction to date has been success-
rectifier and a solar unit using photo- • System No. 2—Transformer-recti-
ful. All systems have been constructed
voltaic cells. In general, it is beneficial to fier rated for a two-well cluster using
with a DC circuit resistance of less than
standardize on both types of power sup- either surface-anode or deep-anode
the target maximum 0.6 Ω. In all cases,
plies. Standard units provide economies configurations
the min. 15 A of current to the well casing
of scale when manufacturing the initial • System No. 3—Solar power system,
has been achieved. Figure 4 shows the
components, yielding lower initial costs. for single well protection, using either
installation of the anodes in a deep
Additionally, the number of spare parts deep-anode or surface-anode configu-
groundbed. Figure 5 depicts a surface
will be reduced and personnel training rations.
groundbed installation and Figure 6
will be simplified because there will be Note that DC runs between the pow-
shows the solar array.
similarities in equipment. er supply and the wellhead were limited
Air-cooled, transformer-rectifiers op- to 1,640 ft. Two wells can be clustered and
erating on 415-V, three-phase AC power protected by a single transformer-rectifier Health, Safety, and
were selected. During the economic provided that they do not exceed this Environmental Considerations
evaluation, the units were shown to have threshold. An evaluation of the most appropriate
a much lower life-cycle cost than oil-im- type of CP systems necessitated consid-
mersed or pulsed rectifiers. The design life Final Design and Construction eration of several factors such as avail-
of the transformer-rectifiers is 20 years. The owner awarded the consultant an ability, constructability, the local environ-
A standard 240-W (0- to 24-V) solar EPC contract to perform the final design, ment, reliability, and economics. The
power system with battery storage was material procurement, and construction assessment also considered factors relating
selected for single-well installations only phases of the project. As part of the con- to health, safety, and the environment.
where no AC power is available or where tract, site-specific field surveys were per- The power supply configurations de-
the distance to existing AC power exceeds formed and a final design prepared. Cri- tailed earlier in this article limit the instal-
1,640 ft. teria for optimizing CP groundbed lation of 415-V AC power cable to a
Three power supply configurations locations were defined as 180 degrees maximum distance of 1,640 ft—and only
were recommended. Each has sufficient +90 degrees from the flowline, 492 to 656 under stable soil conditions. The final
22 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE August 2004

AUG 2004 MP pp 1-57.indd 22 7/13/04 11:34:45 AM

 design does not require the installation of Reference
33-kV overhead lines. 1. NACE Standard RP0186, “Application of Cathodic
Air-cooled transformer-rectifiers were Protection for External Surfaces of Steel Well Castings”
included in the recommended configura- (Houston, TX: NACE, 2001).
tions not only to reduce cost, but also to
eliminate the need to dispose of oil as- This article is based on a paper presented at
sociated with oil-cooled transformer- the NACE Middle East Conference in Bahrain,
rectifiers. March 7 to 10, 2004.
The installation of solar systems neces-
DAVID H. KROON is Executive Vice President
sitates the use of batteries, which have an and Chief Engineer of Corrpro Companies,
anticipated service life ranging from 5 Inc., 7000B Hollister, Houston, TX 77040. He
to 10 years. The actual performance de- has a B.S. in chemistry from Yale University
pends on the battery itself and the and is a registered professional engineer in
operating conditions. It will be necessary eight states. Kroon has more than 30 years of
experience in corrosion prevention including
to dispose of the batteries in accordance materials performance, protective coatings,
with local regulations for hazardous waste pipeline integrity, CP, and AC/DC interference
material. mitigation. A 33-year member of NACE, he has
been actively engaged in solving corrosion
Conclusions problems for oil and gas producers throughout
his career.
The results of the design effort revealed
some important considerations for future GERALD D. WILLIAMS is a Senior Project
projects: Manager at Corrpro Companies, Inc., PO Box
• E-log I and CD calculations can be 4705, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. He has been exten-
used to define a current range for CP. sively involved in the CP industry for more
than 27 years. A 27-year NACE member, he is
• The most reliable current require-
a NACE Corrosion Specialist and CP Special-
ment data come from casing potential ist. He has spent the past 15 years working in
logs. Asia, Australia, and the Middle East on various
• Better knowledge, documentation, CP projects. He is currently managing a major
and data about the subsurface geology project in Abu Dhabi involving CP for more
than 1,300 well casings.
in the first 10,000 ft (3,048 m) would
be of great assistance in more accu-
ALI N. MOOSAVI is a Senior Corrosion Engi-
rately modeling downhole current at- neer at ADCO, PO Box 270, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
tenuation, CD, and polarization. It He has 25 years of research and development
would be helpful if soil resistivity logs and corrosion consultancy experience, primar-
were run on a sample of wells through- ily in the oil and gas sector—16 years in the
U.K. and 9 years in the U.A.E. He has a Ph.D.
out each field, beginning at the surface
in corrosion from UMIST, holds a Research
and extending through the production Fellowship at Aberdeen University, and is a
zones. Visiting Professor at U.A.E. University. A NACE
• Although it is preferable to electri- member since 1981, he has authored more
cally isolate flowlines from the well than 20 publications.
casings, it is not always possible to do
so effectively and economically with Need reprints of MP ads,
articles, or covers?
high water-cuts of low resistivity.
• Depth to groundwater should be REPRINTS ARE A GREAT
documented whenever possible, such INVESTMENT!
as when water wells are developed to Professionally printed reprints and photo-
support drilling operations. copied reprints of all MP ads, articles, and
• Where depth to groundwater is un- covers are available for purchase. Reprints
can be customized with your company’s logo,
certain, taking drill stem resistance-to- additional product information, or the magazine
earth measurements is an excellent way cover—with no limits on creativity!
to obtain definitive electrode and ac- Order your reprints today, it simply makes good
tive column depths during deep- business sense! For reprint information and
rates, call 281/228-6219.
anode installations.
August 2004 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE 23

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