Comprehensive conference on corrosion of oil and gas pipelines to take place in UAE in 2013

Discussions and presentations will focus on: strategies regarding the financials and development of the pipeline industry; technical focus on material selection; corrosion inspection and detection; cathodic protection solutions for pipelines; and more.

Organised by The Energy Exchange and co-hosted by NACE Abu Dhabi, the UAE section of the corrosion society, the four-day conference will be co-located with the thirteenth edition of MEPIPES - the Middle East Oil and Gas Pipelines Meeting.

Arianna Neri, Project Director, Corrosion UAE, said, "We are pleased to have the support of NACE Abu Dhabi. There is no other regional event in 2013 that is endorsed by the leading association for corrosion prevention. Corrosion UAE and MEPIPES 2013 will gather technical experts, R&D specialists, and technologists from across the region to discuss the entire pipeline value chain."

A recent report by Visiongain calculates that the global oil and gas corrosion prevention market is worth $18.72bn in 2012.

NACE International reports that the annual cost of corrosion in the oil and gas production industry is estimated to be $1.372bn.

Norwegian oil group Statoil, suspended operations, cutting national daily oil output by 8% on the Troll C platform on 15 November 2012 after a routine inspection found corrosion in the tank of a gas treatment system.

David Vickers, Chairman of NACE Abu Dhabi, UAE Section, said, "Corrosion is an occurrence which impacts so many areas, in all of our lives day to day, not only in our professional or business field, but even in our homes. It influences important decisions relating to almost every item we come into contact with, from the largest and most prestigious project, worth billions of dollars, to the humble kitchen sink. It is an area which is still as relevant today as it was in times past, and we are still learning more and more how to combat and control these effects."

NACE International reports that the annual cost of corrosion in the oil and gas production industry is estimated to be $1.372bn. Experts are confirmed to attend from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the UK.

Speakers confirmed to participate at Corrosion UAE 2013 include: Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad, Consultant, AGOCO; Nasser Behlani, Head Material Integrity Consultancy, PDO; Yves Gunaltun, Corrosion Expert, TOTAL; Husain Mahrous, Cathodic Protection Specialist, Saudi Aramco; Dr. Mabrouk Issa Suleiman, Deputy Research Centre Manager, TAKREER; and many more.