SOCALGAS, DOE SEEK TO REDUCE CORROSION COSTS

Southern California Gas Co., Los Angeles, expects to cut operating costs as a result of a corrosion control research project conducted with the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. SoCalGas, biggest gas distribution company in the U.S., predicts savings of about $1 million/year in operating costs at its Montebello, Calif., underground gas storage field as a result of the joint project. The forecast stems from research operations under way at Montebello since last June.

May 1, 1995

2 min read

SoCalGas, biggest gas distribution company in the U.S., predicts savings of about $1 million/year in operating costs at its Montebello, Calif., underground gas storage field as a result of the joint project. The forecast stems from research operations under way at Montebello since last June.

The 3 year, $1.7 million project aims to reduce the millions of dollars the chemical, gas, oil, nuclear, and water industries spend each year to control corrosion and bacteria in pipelines. Argonne National Laboratory, of Argonne, Ill., said the program also could help improve the environment by reducing the use of chemicals and using more environmentally friendly chemicals.

Spokesmen said the project's early success has sparked the interest of Baker Performance Chemicals, Houston, and Nalco Chemical Co., Naperville, 111. Both have expressed interest in joining the project.

QUATERNARY AMINE

The reduction in Montebello operating cost came from use of a quaternary amine instead of the usual glutaraldehyde to combat pipe corrosion.

Argonne spokesman Jim Frank said, "The amine is kinder to the environment and retains its effectiveness, so we don't need to keep adding it."

The SoCalGas-Argonne project focuses on microbiologically influenced corrosion, which costs U.S. companies about $200 million/year in water treatment chemicals alone.

In the 10 months since the project started, SoCalGas has experienced only one corrosion related failure at Montebello.

The research project also is studying new ways to detect microbiologically influenced corrosion, which is difficult to detect because it takes place in limited parts of pipe systems.

SoCalGas is providing $845,000 in materials and effort, while DOE's Office of Energy Research/Laboratory Technology Transfer Program is providing $840,000 in materials and effort through Argonne.