Overview
EN ISO 15589-2:2024 - titled Oil and gas industries including lower carbon energy - Cathodic protection of pipeline transportation systems - Part 2: Offshore pipelines (ISO 15589-2:2024) - specifies requirements and recommendations for cathodic protection (CP) of offshore pipelines. The standard covers the full lifecycle of CP systems for offshore carbon steel, stainless steel and flexible metallic pipelines: pre‑installation surveys, design, materials, fabrication, installation, commissioning, operation, inspection, maintenance and retrofits. It applies to seabed and seawater environments and to risers up to mean water level, and excludes subsea production and injection equipment and structures.
Key Topics and Requirements
The document addresses practical and technical aspects central to corrosion control of offshore pipelines:
- System selection - guidance on choosing sacrificial (galvanic) or impressed current CP systems suited to offshore conditions.
- Design parameters - protection potentials, CP system design life, coating breakdown factors, and design current densities (including specifics for splash zones, buried sections, high temperature areas and current drains).
- Anodes and materials - selection, electrochemical properties, shapes, utilization factors, and quality requirements for galvanic anodes (aluminium, zinc, etc.).
- Manufacturing and quality control - pre‑production testing, chemical analysis, mass and dimensional checks, defect inspection and electrochemical testing of anodes.
- Installation & commissioning - procedures for safe placement, electrical continuity, isolating joints and commissioning checks.
- Operation, inspection & maintenance - monitoring strategies, inspection intervals, performance criteria and requirements for retrofits, modifications and repairs.
- Special topics - HISC (hydrogen induced stress cracking) evaluation and thermally sprayed aluminium coatings are explicitly included.
Keywords: cathodic protection, offshore pipelines, ISO 15589‑2:2024, galvanic anodes, protection potentials, CP design, corrosion control.
Applications
EN ISO 15589-2:2024 is intended for practical application across the offshore oil, petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas sectors, and for lower‑carbon pipeline projects. Typical uses include:
- Designing CP for new offshore pipeline projects and flexible flowlines, spools and risers.
- Specifying materials and acceptance criteria for anode suppliers and fabricators.
- Developing inspection and maintenance plans for pipeline operators.
- Assessing and implementing retrofits, repairs and modifications to existing CP systems.
Who should use this standard
- Corrosion engineers and pipeline design engineers
- Offshore project managers and integrity teams
- Fabrication and anode manufacturers
- Inspection and commissioning contractors
- Regulators and owners/operators seeking compliance and best practice for offshore pipeline corrosion protection
Related standards
- ISO 13623 (defines pipeline systems scope)
- EN/ISO 15589‑1 (onshore pipelines - complementary guidance)
- Other CP and corrosion standards referenced within the document for testing and material specifications
EN ISO 15589‑2:2024 is the authoritative reference for implementing robust cathodic protection solutions that reduce corrosion risk and extend offshore pipeline service life.
