The world is unlikely to end in 2012, but it is certainly going to suffer severe disruption. A flare-up in sunspot activity could see the country engulfed in violent geomagnetic storms, causing havoc across the globe.

In fact, it has already started. Dubbed the “space weather effect”, changes in the global climate with increased sunspot activity have seen massive increases in geomagnetic storms in recent years. Gas pipelines running east to west have picked up the electrical currents produced in the ground by these storms, causing a massive increase in the corrosion rate of pipelines and pipe flanges.

As we approach the 2012 deadline, the space weather affect looks set to rise even faster meaning 2012 really could spell Doomsday – at least for those companies who have neglected to replace their regular pipe flanges with high specification alloys, such at molybdenum and duplex.

If this sounds like the stuff of science fiction, it’s not. Finland takes the effect of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) very seriously, and is running long-term real-time studies into gas pipeline and power system corrosion.

Pipelines are covered with a coating to minimise electrical discharge and corrosion. However, it appears it can actually increase the space weather related pipe-to-soil effect, thus potentially worsening the problem.

The answer, of course, is to minimise the damage by using high grade alloy pipes and pipe flanges that are highly corrosion resistant. This need not be expensive. We at ChemiPetro supply a wide range of super austenitic, super duplex and titanium alloy pipe flanges at realistic prices, meaning 2012 can remain just a movie disaster.