Review of the losses and devastation caused by corrosion in the Nigeria oil industry for over 30 years

• A.I. Obike¹, K.J. Uwakwe^2,3, E.K. Abraham¹, A.I. Ikeuba^2,4 and W. Emori^5,6

¹ Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Abia State University, P.M.B. 2000, Uturu, AbiaState, Nigeria
² Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Calabar, Calabar, 1115, Nigeria
³ State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, Dalian 116023, PR China
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, PR China
⁵ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong 643000, PR China
⁶ Key Laboratory of Material Corrosion and Protection of Sichuan Province, Zigong 643000, PR China

Abstract: Pipeline failures have been linked majorly to corrosion caused by aging infrastructure. Most of the pipelines installed to transport petroleum products in Nigeria are over sixty years old. In the 35 years under review, Nigeria has had about 7,359 incidences of spills resulting in the release of 3,114,255 barrels, estimated at $247,957,000. This translates to an average of over 600 spills per year, the highest rate of spills globally. Records indicated that 6%, 25% and 69% respectively of the total oil spilled in Nigeria occurs on land, swamp and offshore environments. Several millions of Dollars have been lost as a result of corrosion and the inefficiency of corrosion management. Underlining the dangers of oil spillage, environmentalist urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on oil spills and the affected areas. They stressed that it is a silent killer of Nigeria’s future, as it posses grave danger to lives and properties of people. Nigeria is home to about 150 species of fish and other wildlife that remain endangered by spills. Maintenance of older pipelines can be very difficult but crucial in minimizing loses. The cost of corrosion control within the year 2004–2008 was found to be far less compared to the estimated cost of oil spillage in 1978 alone, which is over $38 billion; prevention is really better than cure. Enforcement and strict adherence to legislation and government policy on minimum standards created to management corrosion could be key to prevent further losses.

Keywords: corrosion, pipeline, mild steel, oil spill, corrosion cost

Int. J. Corros. Scale Inhib., 2020, 9, no. 1, 74-91 PDF (1 207 K)
doi: 10.17675/2305-6894-2020-9-1-5

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