Failure Cause of Pipeline in an Oilfield in Western China and Protective Measures

Based on the statistical analysis of pipeline failure data in an oil field in western China, the causes of pipeline failure were analyzed by bacteria detection, water quality and soil analysis. The results show that the internal and external corrosion perforation was the main cause of the failure of pipelines in the oil field. Long service life, manufacturing process defects, strong corrosivity of internal and external environmental media, accelerated bacterial corrosion, lack of effective corrosion protection measures, and non-standard construction process were the main reasons for the internal and external corrosion of the oilfield pipeline. Pipeline corrosion in the oilfield can be comprehensively controlled and prevented by failure cause analysis, selection of corrosion-resistant pipes, adoption of highly applicable anti-corrosion coatings and corrosion inhibitors, and establishment of on-site corrosion monitoring system.