Baker Hughes partners with Petrobras for pipeline corrosion solution development

Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, announced Tuesday a joint technology development program with Petrobras to provide a definitive solution for stress corrosion cracking due to CO2 (SCC-CO2) in flexible pipe systems.

The pre-commercial agreement encompasses development and testing, as well as a purchase option of the resulting next-generation flexible pipes, which will have an extended service life of 30 years in high-CO2 environments. The collaborative effort between Baker Hughes and Petrobras will be primarily executed at Baker Hughes’ Rio de Janeiro Energy Technology Innovation Center and nearby flexible pipe systems manufacturing plant.

CC-CO2 was identified in 2016 and can affect flexible pipes in pre-salt fields, which have high concentrations of naturally occurring CO2. If water penetrates a pipe’s annulus area, the resulting corrosion to steel reinforcement layers can weaken structural integrity and reduce the system’s lifespan. This issue is particularly acute in Brazil’s pre-salt fields, where Petrobras is reinjecting CO2 from their production operations into wells to reduce flaring and enhance oil recovery. Petrobras has committed to limiting atmospheric emissions, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is an important tool for achieving this goal.

Until now, operators in high-CO2 environments have relied on solutions that mitigate the impact of SCC-CO2 while limiting the service life of risers and flowlines. Baker Hughes flexible pipe systems and advanced monitoring technologies have proven effective at minimizing this impact, and the company is a major supplier of flexible pipe systems to Petrobras.

Baker Hughes has been deeply involved in the development of Brazil’s offshore oil and gas fields for decades, and its localization strategy contributes to the nation’s economy while strengthening its energy supply chain.

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