World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) - University of Port Harcourt
Abstract
The delineation of possible areas of corrosion along an underground oil
pipeline in Ubeji, Delta State, Nigeria was investigated using the
horizontal electrical resistivity profiling technique and the
Spontaneous Potential geophysical method. The resistivity and self
potential values of the soil along the pipeline were obtained using the
R-plus resistivity meter. The results show that areas of low
resistivity, having values between 98.0 and 116.0 Ohm-m, coincide with
areas of high negative spontaneous potential values, in the range -31.0
to -52 mV. The low apparent resistivity and high negative spontaneous
potential values are indications that the soil is very corrosive and
there is the possibility of the pipeline failure and oil spillage
around these hot spots in the future. These methods applied in the
study are quick, economic and efficient for detecting likely anodic hot
spots along buried pipelines which need to be protected. Routine
electrical geophysical investigations along buried oil pipelines should
be undertaken for the early detection and prevention of pipeline
failure with its attendant environmental, human and economic
consequences. @ JASE