The report entitled “Hydrogen assisted cracking of jack-up installations” dating from 2023 focused attention on the causes, mechanisms and extent of hydrogen-induced cracks on jack-up installations on which high-strength steel is used in legs and in the transition between legs and “spudcans”.
Force Technology’s latest report on cathodic protection is divided into two parts:
- “Cathodic Protection of Jack-up Rigs” presents an evaluation of what constitutes a favourable potential for cathodic protection for installations with high-strength steel, as well as design and material considerations relating to the protection system itself (anodes). Particular consideration is given to reducing the risk of hydrogen-induced stress cracking (HISC), while at the same time ensuring that the chosen potential provides sufficient corrosion protection for the installation.
- In the second part of the report, “Inspection of HACC in Jack-up Rigs”, recommendations are given concerning relevant inspection areas, as well as suitable tools and methods for detecting hydrogen-assisted cold cracking (HACC) and HISC-related defects in both new-build installations and installations that are already in operation.
In the latest report, Force Technology identifies a number of considerations, including:
- Carrying out checks on the potential for cathodic protection with the aim of reducing the risk of HISC may be challenging, as the anode potential will need to be checked and monitored while the rig is in operation.
- Alternative methods and acceptance criteria for non-destructive testing (NDT) should be considered in order to detect HACC during the fabrication phase.
See the reports for further details.