ISO 21457:2010

Overview

ISO 21457:2010 - "Petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries - Materials selection and corrosion control for oil and gas production systems" provides structured guidance for selecting materials and managing corrosion in surface oil and gas production, processing, pipeline and injection/utility systems. It covers equipment from the wellhead up to pipelines for stabilized products, but excludes downhole components. The standard focuses on identifying corrosion mechanisms, setting parameters for materials evaluation and recommending corrosion-control measures while relying on generally available, documented materials.

Key topics and requirements

• Corrosion evaluations: Identification of internal and external corrosion mechanisms relevant to hydrocarbon service (e.g., CO2/ H2S-related corrosion, pitting, erosion, hydrogen-induced cracking).
• Materials selection: Guidelines for choosing carbon steels, low-alloy steels, corrosion-resistant alloys (CRAs), polymeric materials and glass-fibre-reinforced plastics for specific systems and applications.
• Performance limitations: Notes on material usage limits, mechanical-property considerations and susceptibility to mechanisms such as HIC (hydrogen-induced cracking) and HSC (hydrogen stress cracking).
• Design inputs: Requirement for a project-specific design basis and design information from the end user to support materials selection.
• Materials selection report: A structured output documenting evaluation, rationale and any qualification of non-standard materials.
• Corrosion control measures: Coverage of chemical treatment, internal corrosion allowance, coatings (internal and external), splash zone protection, cathodic protection, corrosion protection of closed compartments, sealing materials, fasteners, weld overlays and management strategies.
• Special materials: Guidance on polymers and glass-fibre-reinforced plastics where applicable.
• Monitoring and qualification: Informative annexes address design basis, corrosion monitoring and chemical composition of common oilfield alloys.

Practical applications and users

ISO 21457:2010 is intended for:

• Oil & gas operators and end users who must define the design basis and accept materials for facilities.
• Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors performing materials selection during design and procurement.
• Equipment manufacturers and suppliers developing off‑the‑shelf or project‑specific hardware for surface production, processing, pipelines, injection and utility systems. Practical uses include selecting pipe and piping materials, specifying coatings and cathodic protection, preparing materials selection reports, and evaluating alternative or novel materials for surface oil and gas service.

Related standards

• Normative references include the ISO 15156 series (materials for H2S-containing environments, also adopted as NACE MR0175/ISO 15156), which ISO 21457 refers to for cracking-resistant material guidance.
• ISO 21457 does not replace product or manufacturing standards - those provide detailed material requirements, manufacturing and testing rules.

Keywords: ISO 21457:2010, materials selection, corrosion control, oil and gas production systems, pipelines, corrosion mechanisms, cathodic protection, coatings, corrosion monitoring, CRAs.