Soil is corrosive!
Single wall steel tanks and pipes which are installed below ground must have some kind of secondary protection to prevent leaks, because over time the soil will eat through the metal of the piping and/or tank. The most cost-effective means to provide that secondary protection is by installing a cathodic protection system.
There are two kinds of cathodic protection systems commonly used in petroleum industry: sacrificial anodes or impressed current.
Sacrificial anodes – These anodes are made of a more corrosive metal than steel, and so when they are placed in the ground and connected to the pipe or tank via a wire, they protect the steel by corroding away first.
Impressed current – This type of system also uses anodes but they are electrically connected to a DC power source to provide enough current to protect the system.
National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) is the primary governing body for how cathodic protection systems should be designed, installed and tested. Superior Services’ personnel are NACE-certified and can design, install, repair and test either type of cathodic protection system. This increases the structural longevity of the petroleum storage and distribution system, as well as ensuring compliance which meets both state and federal regulations.
Services Provided:
- Onsite visual inspection
- Design, installation and repair of impressed current systems.
- Design and installation of sacrificial systems for piping components.
- Repair sacrificial systems including STI-P3 tanks.
- Test all cathodic protection systems.