Increased geomagnetic storm levels have led to an rise in the corrosion rate of pipelines, in particular the areas around pipe flanges. The ignorance of this has already led to several dangerous explosions.

There are 160,000 miles of liquid gas pipelines in the world, all potentially affected by global climate change. Aggressive countermeasures are being used to replace corroded pipe fittings in some areas, using high grade nickel and titanium alloys, but this is rare. Most are unwilling to part with the cost unless a leak occurs.

The US is one of the worst offenders. There have been hundreds of accidents in the last 10 years, with many lives lost, owing to unrepaired leaks in pipelines and flanges.  The affect on the environment has been enormous.

Corrosion is most likely to occur at vulnerable areas like the seals of pipe flanges. One modern idea has been to insulate them with low levels of current. Insulated flanges are meant to disrupt current flow along the pipe; however, they create an additional site for electric potential to build up during storms, forcing the current flow into the ground and maximising rate of corrosion.

The danger from geomagnetic storms is corrosion and leakage. Rather than make pipe flanges more vulnerable to damaging electromagnetic currents by ineffective insulation, they should be replaced with flanges made from superior alloys, which are resistant to corrosion and have a guaranteed minimum lifespan.

We at ChemiPetro have a wide range of industrial pipe flanges in a range of highly corrosion resistant alloys.