ICorr Yorkshire and 
Humber Updates

Institute News

ICorr is delighted to introduce Dr. Joshua Owen as the newly appointed Interim 
Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber branch. An AGM to endorse the full committee 
will follow in the near future.

Stepping into this leadership role, Dr. Owen brings a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to advancing corrosion science and engineering in the region. Learn more about him in his own words below.

“I am Josh, a lecturer in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds. 
I have a PhD from the University of Leeds, focused on the erosion-corrosion of carbon steel. Having previously been part of the Young ICorr committee, I now chair the Yorkshire and Humber branch of ICorr.

At the University of Leeds, we host the Institute of Functional Surfaces research group, dedicated to the study of corrosion and material degradation. We have over 20 active PhD and postdoctoral researchers tackling various corrosion challenges, from flow accelerated corrosion to corrosion challenges faced in the energy transition, with a strong focus on addressing industry needs.

As Chair, I am excited to establish a committee and organise events for the Yorkshire and Humber corrosion community in the coming months. My vision for the branch is to create a vibrant community within the region that bridges leading academic research and industry expertise through a series of events”.

If you are interested in joining the committee or participating in our events, please contact yorkshirechair@icorr.org

Wales and South-West Regional 
Branch Holds Its First Event in Pembroke

Institute News

On 20^th February 2025, the newly established Wales and South-West of England regional branch held its inaugural event in Pembroke, marking a significant milestone in bringing together professionals from across the region. The event, hosted at Insite Technical Services, was a collaborative effort with the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and featured insightful presentations from experts in 
the field.

The first presentation was delivered by Adeeba Zachary and Sabrina Gregory from Valero Energy. Adeeba, the Corrosion and Materials Engineer at Valero’s Pembroke Refinery, has a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Swansea University and is also the current Vice Chair of the Wales and South-West Branch of ICORR. Adeeba has experience in multiple areas of mechanical integrity, including being a registered American Petroleum Institute (API) piping and pressure vessels inspector. Sabrina Gregory, a Process Engineer working on the Reformer Unit at Valero’s Pembroke Refinery, has a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Swansea University. Sabrina has experience in daily operations of the Reformer Unit as well as during a major unit turnaround/upgrade.

Adeeba and Sabrina’s presentation titled “Where process and corrosion engineering meet: Implementing a material operating envelope at a refining facility,” provided insight into the concept of Material Operating Envelopes (MOEs) and the multidisciplinary collaboration required for their effective implementation in a refinery setting. They explored the critical considerations needed to complete an MOE study, including materials selection, operational changes, and contaminant control. A key part of their presentation was a case study on implementing an MOE for a Catalytic Reformer Unit, detailing how such frameworks ensure the longevity and safety of complex industrial equipment. Their expertise illustrated how blending process engineering with corrosion and materials engineering can help mitigate potential operational risks, minimise turnaround times and optimise performance in 
refining operations.

The second presentation was given by Sahana Cooper, a Senior Process Engineer at Insite Technical Services. With five years of experience in process design, Sahana has worked on a diverse range of projects, from surge analysis to distillation column replacements and co-processing renewable feedstocks. Sahana’s academic background includes a degree in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University, complemented by an industrial placement at Valero’s Pembroke Refinery and a research project at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The presentation, “Corrosion mechanisms in hydrotreaters during co-processing of renewable feeds.” delved into the challenges faced when co-processing renewable feedstocks in diesel hydrotreaters. Her talk focused on a specific project where a client sought to co-process up to 5% by weight renewable feedstock in their diesel hydrotreater. The process posed unique corrosion challenges, particularly related to managing salt deposits and adhering to the high temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) limits, which are crucial for ensuring the integrity and safety of refinery operations.

The event saw an excellent level of interaction from the audience, with many questions and plenty of further discussions following each presentation. The delegates were highly engaged, seeking deeper insights into the technical aspects of the topics covered and exchanging ideas on how to apply the learnings in their own work. The lively discussions highlighted the thirst for knowledge and collaboration among professionals in the region. With 45 delegates in attendance, the first Pembroke event was deemed a resounding success! The positive feedback from participants and the high level of engagement with branch activities to date bode very well for the future of the Wales and South-West regional branch, which plans to continue providing such events for professionals to connect, learn, and grow.

The next event is due to take place at Cardiff University on 9^th April. For more information, contact: swchair@icorr.org

You can also keep up to date on events by visiting our LinkedIn page; https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12992293/.

Photo:  Delegates Observing Adeeba Zachary and Sabrina Gregory Presentations.

Photo:  Sahana Cooper from Insite Technical Services.

ICorr North-West Updates

Institute News

A fantastic afternoon of knowledge-sharing took place at the joint Institute of Corrosion North-West Branch on 19^th February 2025. Young ICorr and The University of Manchester event at the Henry Royce Institute in Manchester!

The event brought together ICorr members, students, industry experts, and early-career professionals for an engaging session featuring real-world case study discussion by Roger Francis (RFmaterials limited) and Ben Hudson (Premtech Ltd), one of the Young Engineer Programme 2024 winners, who shared his team’s approach to tackling the case study.

Danny Burkle (LBBC Baskerville), ICorr Corrosion Engineering Division Chair, highlighted the value of joining ICorr and the Young Engineer Programme, inspiring the next generation of corrosion professionals.

Attendees also explored cutting-edge research from postgraduate students at Leeds and Manchester Universities, covering topics such as:

Mild steel corrosion in oxygenated water – Finlay Spence

Salinity effects on carbon steel corrosion and inhibitors 
– Harry Tookey

Computational approaches to corrosion inhibitor performance 
– James Osbiston

Laser-induced hydrogen measurement in steels – Tom Hillman

The level of engagement, insightful discussions, and thought-provoking questions made this event a huge success! We look forward to future collaborations with The University of Manchester, including the Henry Royce Institute!

A big thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to such a dynamic event, and to Yunnan Gau, ICorr President, for opening the meeting.

Further events are coming up, with the planned joint Institute of Asset Management Event focussing on managing infrastructure and the UK-China Corrosion Summit on 3^rd-4^th September.

The North-West (NW) committee is excited to welcome Dr Reza Tohid as its newest member. Dr Reza holds a PhD and is a Corrosion and Integrity Management Expert, and an AMPP Corrosion Specialist. We are very excited to welcome him following his relocation to the NW after several years as an active member in the Aberdeen Branch.

Photo (right): 
New NW 
Committee Member 
Reza Tohid

ICorr London Updates

Institute News

In February, the branch welcomed Dr Mohammad Seyed Hosseini, Technical Director at London Petrotech Engineering Ltd and Principal Consultant at Subsea 7, based in London, who presented “Lessons-Learned from a Root-Cause Failure Analysis Conducted on a Subsea Sour Gas Pipeline.”

Dr Hosseini, is an accomplished materials and corrosion engineer with over 24 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He has worked with some main EPCI contractors and major operators. In addition to his industry accomplishments, he holds an academic position in the UK, where he has spent years lecturing, researching, and supervising postgraduate students. He has also delivered several training courses to institutions and directly to oil and gas companies.

Dr Hosseini started by describing the subsea pipeline failure. It was transporting wet sour gas and experienced multiple failures within two years of the start of operation. The pipeline, constructed from DNV SAWL (longitudinally welded steel pipe manufactured using the Submerged Arc Welding process) 450 SD material, was thus subjected to a comprehensive three-stage investigation, including laboratory analysis, Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) by the operating company’s expert, and an independent review by a contractor-appointed expert.

He then described the detailed examination conducted through laboratory investigations on the pipes retrieved from the seabed, which revealed several key findings. Visual inspection revealed ruptures in the base metal with extensive internal corrosion concentrated at the 10-2 o’clock position of the pipe sections. Despite chemical composition and mechanical properties (including toughness and hardness) meeting all required specifications, microstructural examination showed banded structures at mid-thickness with elongated inclusions. Ultrasonic testing detected several Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC)/Stepwise Cracking (SWC) indications at the mid-thickness, all located at the top of line (TOL). HIC/SWC tests confirmed acceptable results for most samples except one, which was taken from the parent material adjacent to the rupture point.

A holistic root-cause failure analysis was also performed based on BS 62740 using the Cause Tree Method (CTM). The relevant design, manufacturing, construction, installation, pre-commissioning, and operational data were reviewed. The RCA results showed that the primary root causes were material quality issues making the pipeline susceptible to HIC damage, with corrosion processes in wet H₂S environments leading to critical hydrogen absorption. Contributing factors included inadequate corrosion control strategies, infrequent pigging operations that allowed liquid accumulation, and higher-than-anticipated H₂S concentrations accelerating corrosion. Manufacturing inconsistencies and insufficiently rigorous HIC testing procedures further compromised the pipeline’s integrity.

The independent expert reviewed these findings and highlighted important enhancements needed in Root Cause Analysis methodology. It emphasised that RCA should be holistic and collaborative, with regular inter-stakeholder workshops to discuss interim results. The basis for selection of RCA techniques must be mutually agreed upon by all parties, and a minimum of two complementary techniques should be employed. Incorporating interviews with key personnel and utilising specialised RCA software tools were also recommended to improve investigation quality.

A pivotal conclusion emerged regarding the relationship between TOL corrosion and HIC. The analysis definitively established a sequential relationship where these mechanisms occur in series rather than in parallel. This means that TOL corrosion triggered HIC in the steel, which ultimately led to pipeline structural failure and rupture.

The expert also noted that microstructural imperfections like banding are unavoidable in thermomechanically-controlled processed steels but require careful management. These highlighted the lack of clear requirements in the current industry standards and  practices regarding acceptable banding structures for sour service applications. For severe sour service environments, the expert recommended using quenched and tempered (Q+T) or normalised steels where feasible, though acknowledged this approach was not applicable to this pipeline’s large SAWL pipes. Dr Hosseini concluded by noting that these comprehensive findings provide critical insights for preventing similar failures in sour service subsea pipelines through improved material selection, manufacturing quality control, and corrosion management strategies.

The branch held their AGM on Thursday, 13^th March. The chair summarised the past year and highlighted the upcoming events. The treasurer, Jim Glynn, presented the accounts, which showed we were able to run all the events and still return some of our allocated funds to Head Office. Acceptance of the accounts 
was proposed, seconded and approved. There were some changes to the committee; Ali Morshed resigned due 
to family commitments, Alejandra Fernandez-Vinas was going 
on maternity leave, and we had one new member, Berenika Syrek-Gerstenkorn. This new committee was elected for the 2025-2026 season.

Following the AGM, the chair gave a very interesting talk on “Work-Life balance”, he explained that after (potentially stressful) work, it is necessary to have another relaxing interest, e.g. a hobby, and in Paul’s case, it is bee keeping.

He explained the function of a colony of bees in a hive. Honeybees play a crucial role in pollinating crops and plants, ensuring the production of many of our fruits, etc. They produce beeswax which they use to build their hive. Going from autumn to winter, a hive has about 6-7,000 bees (worker bees and the queen) – during winter they are dormant and mainly generate heat by vibrating their wings while clustered around the Queen Bee, keeping her warm and fed, consuming the honey stored up during the previous summer.

For a bee hive to be successful, it must have 1,000s of worker bees and one queen bee and drones (male bees). The primary purpose of the Queen in a hive is reproduction, she is the only bee capable of laying eggs, essential for maintaining and expanding the colony , she  produces pheromones that help maintain the cohesion and stability of the colony , and is crucial the colony’s survival.

Drone bees are prevalent in colonies in the spring and summer months. As winter approaches, they are driven out of the nests or hives by the worker bees and left to perish in the cold. When a brood nest is large, the presence of drones helps to maintain heat, and it’s believed that a colony is more content with drones.

Worker bees are females which lack the reproductive capacity of a Queen and carry out the majority of tasks needed for the hive to function – they are by far the most numerous types of bee, smaller than drones and Queens, and have bodies specialised for nectar and pollen collection.  They perform different tasks around the hive progressively over their lifespans in a predictable order based on their age.

Worker bees gather pollen in the pollen baskets on their back legs and carry it back to the hive to feed the developing brood.  Nectar is sucked up through the proboscis, mixed with enzymes in their stomach, and carried back to the hive, where it is stored in wax cells, and evaporates into honey.  There are also Guard bees who stand at the front of the hive entrance, defending it from any invaders, such as wasps.

A beehive is analogous with a large company. The Queen is the CEO, the workers carry out all the tasks, and the drones are the seasonal workers, whilst the guards are the security, just as in our industry. There was an interesting discussion about the honey produced and the different flavours that are obtained. As is customary with the branch, the speaker received an ICorr pen as thanks for his talk.

In May, the branch will be holding a social event for members and their partners. Further details will be available on the ICorr website in due course.

Photo (right)
Dr. Mohammad Seyed Hosseini Delivering 
His Talk.

Photo: After a Very Interesting Q&A Session, the Chair Thanked Dr Hosseini for His Presentation, and Presented Him with an ICorr Pen, in Appreciation of His Talk.

Photo: Paul Brooks Delivering His Talk.

Photo: Honey Bee.