Session: Marine Corrosion and Performance Issues for Materials and Coatings
Corrosion Under Insulation in Marine Pipelines: A Literature Review on Coating Performance and Qualification Standards (C2026-00229)
Monday, March 16, 2026
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Central
Location: 361 DE
Earn .5 PDH
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Amal Al-Borno, Moavin Islam, Henry Pedraza, Ezz Ahmed
Corrosion under insulation (CUI) remains a critical integrity challenge for thermally insulated marine pipelines, particularly in deepwater oil and gas operations. Despite advances in coating technologies and insulation systems, failures at insulation terminations, field joints, and mechanical interfaces continue to be reported. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review on the performance of external pipeline coatings exposed to marine CUI conditions, emphasizing systems used beneath wet thermal insulation in submerged and splash-zone environments. The review covers widely used coatings such as fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE), multi-layer polyolefin (3LPE/3LPP), and high-temperature epoxy systems, focusing on their documented resistance to water ingress, cathodic disbondment, and long-term thermal cycling. Current industry standards, including ISO 19277 and NACE SP0198, are compared with proprietary qualification protocols to assess how well they replicate real-world CUI exposure. Special attention is given to insulation/coating interface failure mechanisms and the limited predictive value of some standardized tests. This survey highlights key knowledge gaps, such as insufficient testing under hydrostatic pressure and limited guidance on field joint protection. Recommendations are proposed to strengthen qualification frameworks and guide material selection for improved CUI resistance in offshore pipeline systems.
