Corrosion testing facility expanded

The quality analysis specialist has now invested over £5 million in the facility since its opening in 2008.

Corrosion is estimated to cost the oil and gas industry £896 million annually, with subsea, topsides and onshore equipment all vulnerable.

[This] ensures we can meet the increasing demand to tackle the problems [caused by] the use of materials and chemicals in extreme environments

Intertek’s Graeme Dicken

Vital assets are increasingly expected to operate beyond their projected lifecycles, driving a rise in demand for the corrosion testing services that Intertek offers.

Intertek Production and Integrity Assurance business manager for testing Graeme Dicken said the expanded Manchester testing the centre was now one of the largest of its kind in the world.

“The additional space will ensure that we can meet the increasing demand from clients to tackle the problems they are facing with respect to the use of materials and chemicals in extreme environments,” added Dicken.

“Following the site expansion, we have large-scale bespoke test rigs to simulate specific environments and issues, providing clients with accurate data and solutions. The upgrade recently enabled us to conduct a pilot plant-scale flow loop and full pipe section subsea simulation studies.”  

Originally consisting of two units with a total size of 929m2, the facility has been extended twice to meet rapidly growing demand for corrosion testing services, primarily from the oil and gas industry. It now covers 2,580m2. 

The site provides specialist laboratories for sour service, high pressure and high temperature, coatings and non-metallics, chemical treatment testing and corrosion fatigue studies.

In addition to the Manchester testing, Intertek has an established international network of corrosion and production chemistry laboratories in Aberdeen, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi and Adelaide.