Cathodic Protection
For Deep Water Production Equipment

An introduction

Deepwater Corrosion Services has been a pioneer in corrosion control for deep water production systems since 1986. The company was directly involved in early test programs that set the standard for cathodic protection in water depths of over 300 meters, and since then, many of the products we have developed stand alone as one-of-a-kind solutions for deep water cathodic protection and monitoring.

Asset integrity management for deep water assets is one of our chief development areas still. Deepwater has kept pace with rapid and ongoing improvements in production technologies. Our "Smart" cathodic protection systems provide ROV-installable CP with built-in monitoring systems. This is done with the SunStation subsea readout and any number of strategically placed Polatrak reference electrodes.

The Smartpod (self-monitoring anode pod) solves the problem of CP incompatibilities by providing centralized cathodic protection and monitoring in one ROV-deployed package. Built on Deepwater's proven RetroPod frame, the Smartpod requires no batteries, as it is powered and activated by the lights of the ROV, making it the only viable, long-term monitored CP system available for deep water. One SmartPod can protect and monitor several pieces of equipment in one field.

The SmartClamp provides a subsea cathodic protection test station for pipelines and tubulars. Like all "Smart" products, the self-powered SunStation allows it to be placed in any required locale, depending only on ROV access.

Related Technical Informtation

Offshore Cathodic Protection 101 (Paper

A brief tutorial about the science of cathodic protection as it pertains to the offshore oil & gas industry, complete with diagrams, chemical equations etc.

Cathodic Protection Design in Deep Water: Be Safe, Not Sorry!

Abstract: Deepwater offshore structures are now quite common, however a deep water development project still requires significant capital investment on the part of the operator ...

Corrosion Control for Deep Water Floating Production Equipment

Abstract: The rapid growth in the deep-water production sector worldwide has spawned a whole new generation of floating production equipment ...

External Corrosion Control & Inspection of Deep Water Pipelines

Abstract: The external corrosion control of offshore pipelines has, for many years, been accomplished with pipe coatings supplemented with galvanic cathodic protection in the form of anode bracelets ...

Cathodic Protection Products for Deep Water

SmartPod™

The SmartPod is a modified version of our well-proven RetroPod™ system, consisting of 4 platform anodes arranged in an ROV installed pod, RetroClamps™ for attachment, up to 3 SunStation monitors, providing cathodic protection monitoring data from up to three retrofit reference electrodes.


SmartClamp™

The SmartClamp is a standard RetroClamp equipped with a Polatrak V-String (zinc reference electrode) and a SunStation monitor. Designed as a subsea pipeline cathodic protection test station, the SmartClamp can be installed and interrogated by ROV, on any tubular member or pipeline.


SunStation™

The SunStation is a permanent light-powered subsea readout, activated by the light of an ROV. Designed for deep water, it can be display readings for a variety of Polatrak corrosion monitoring instruments: reference electrodes, current density monitors, polarization monitories and monitored anodes.


VSE Anode™

The VSE Anode (Vaulted Seawater Envelope) is designed to provide reliable long-term cathodic protection in shallow water locations where the anode system must be buried below natural bottom. The unit is self-burying, creating a stable envelope of water inside its shell for the MMO anodes to operate within.