Corrosion monitoring for offshore oil and gas

CamIn developed two pilot blueprints with three technology partners for launch within six months, alongside a 12-, 36-, and 60-month roadmap for upgrades and R&D.

The client successfully ran the pilots and adopting the technologies full-scale across their entire offshore assets.

The client saved $500,000 annually on costs and improved key operational, technical and commercial KPIs.

What is corrosion monitoring in oil & gas?

Predictive maintenance for offshore oil and gas assets increasingly relies on fixed and robotic sensing technologies to monitor corrosion and structural integrity in real time. By deploying permanently installed sensors and autonomous robotic systems on subsea pipelines, risers, and topside infrastructure, operators can continuously collect critical data on corrosion rates, material degradation, and environmental conditions. Advanced analytics, simulation models, and AI algorithms process this data to detect early signs of deterioration and forecast potential failures. This enables targeted, just-in-time maintenance that reduces unplanned downtime, enhances safety, and significantly extends the operational lifespan of offshore infrastructure.

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Why is corrosion monitoring important for the sector?

Corrosion remains one of the most persistent and costly challenges facing the oil and gas industry, especially in offshore environments. With infrastructure exposed to extreme weather, saltwater, and pressure fluctuations, asset integrity is constantly at risk. Traditional inspection methods, though widely used, are reactive, labour-intensive, and often fail to detect early signs of degradation. As the industry moves toward more predictive and data-driven maintenance strategies, corrosion monitoring is emerging as a strategic priority.

• Offshore infrastructure is highly exposed and hard to access: Assets operate in harsh, corrosive environments. Traditional inspection methods require human teams to reach remote, hazardous areas, making them expensive, time-consuming, and reactive.
• Downtime is costly and often linked to corrosion: Oil and gas producers face an average of 32 hours of unplanned downtime per month, costing around 220,000 US dollars per hour. A significant share of this is caused by undetected corrosion or material degradation.
• Corrosion leads to both financial and reputational risk: Beyond production losses, corrosion can cause leaks that result in regulatory penalties and environmental damage. The global cost of corrosion reached an estimated 2.5 trillion US dollars in 2021.
• Advanced monitoring systems improve visibility and prevention: Fixed sensors and robotic systems provide continuous, real-time data on asset condition, enabling early detection of corrosion and reducing reliance on manual inspections.
• Proven solutions are scarce, but urgently needed: Although the market is growing, few technologies offer the reliability and scalability needed for offshore use. This makes effective corrosion monitoring a strategic investment area for firms aiming to reduce risk and extend asset life.

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What impact will corrosion monitoring have onto oil & gas?

Over the next decade, corrosion monitoring will evolve from a periodic inspection process into a continuous, automated intelligence layer embedded within offshore and onshore operations. The shift will redefine how integrity is managed across the industry.

Key impacts include:

• Real-time operational awareness: Fixed and robotic systems will provide 24/7 visibility of corrosion activity, replacing bi-weekly manual inspections with continuous streams of actionable data.
• Earlier intervention and lower maintenance costs: Predictive algorithms integrated with sensor data will identify early-stage corrosion well before failures occur, enabling targeted repairs. Studies suggest this will deliver 15 to 35 percent cost savings by reducing emergency repairs and downtime.
• Improved safety and reduced human exposure: Robotics will significantly limit the need for personnel in hazardous or remote environments, such as subsea sites or confined spaces.
• Extended asset life: With more precise understanding of degradation patterns, operators will be able to fine-tune maintenance strategies and extend the usable lifespan of critical infrastructure such as pipelines, risers, and pressure vessels.
• Data-driven compliance and ESG reporting: Regulators and investors are increasingly demanding traceable integrity records. Integrated corrosion monitoring will support transparent, automated compliance reporting and align with ESG expectations.
• Integration with digital twins and autonomous operations: Corrosion data will feed into digital twin models that simulate asset health in real time. This will support next-generation integrity management systems and enable more autonomous, self-optimising facilities.

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What technologies are emerging for corrosion monitoring?

The next decade will see a convergence of sensing, robotics, and machine learning that will drive a step-change in corrosion monitoring. These technologies are moving from niche use cases to becoming standard across offshore oil and gas operations.

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Sensor technologies advancing toward continuous, high-resolution monitoring:

• Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) from providers like Rosen Group, ideal for detecting internal corrosion in long pipeline sections.
• Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) from Eddyfi, which excels in wall thickness measurement through insulation.
• Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) used in contactless thickness evaluations.
• Ultrasonic Testing (UT) including guided wave and phased array systems from Olympus and GE, offering precision and range for wall thinning.
• Radiographic Testing using computed and digital radiography for non-invasive thickness assessment.
• Distributed Fibre Optic Sensors (DFOS) from companies like Luna Innovations and Sensuron, capable of detecting strain and temperature variations along entire pipe sections.

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Robotic and autonomous inspection systems expanding accessibility:

• Climbers and crawlers, like Gecko Robotics' TOKA series, capable of navigating vertical and complex geometries.
• Legged robots, such as ANYmal by ANYbotics, for full autonomy in offshore platforms.
• Subsea drones and ROVs from Oceaneering and Saipem, allowing high-resolution visual and sensor inspection in deepwater.
• Intelligent pigging systems equipped with MFL, EMAT, and UT for internal inspection across extended distances.

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Artificial Intelligence and machine learning making corrosion forecasting smarter:

• Predictive analytics from firms like Cenosco and Akselos that model corrosion growth using machine learning and historical inspection data.
• 3D corrosion profiling powered by convolutional neural networks for image-based defect classification.
• Physics-informed neural networks that combine operational data with material degradation models for forecasting.

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Fixed guided wave networks enabling non-intrusive, remote monitoring:

• Guided wave ultrasound systems from Sensor Networks Inc and Guided Ultrasonics Ltd, installed permanently to monitor wall loss in difficult-to-access locations like pipe racks and under road crossings.
• Wireless sensor communication using LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, and edge gateways to transmit data to centralized integrity platforms with minimal infrastructure.

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These technologies will be increasingly integrated into digital asset integrity platforms, contributing to:

• Reduced cost and effort for inspection campaigns
• Continuous health monitoring across entire pipeline networks
• Remote decision-making and real-time alerts
• Regulatory traceability and automated reporting

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Over the next 10 years, these systems will enable oil and gas firms to move from reactive corrosion response to proactive integrity engineering, helping future-proof infrastructure and reduce total lifecycle cost.