• 3.2   Robert Wood (University of Southampton) brought to the attention of members a short course on ‘Corrosion – Electrochemical Techniques’.  This is to be held at the University of Southampton on 17th-19th September 2007.  It is planned to be an intensive 3-day residential course, with lectures and hands-on practical sessions.  An additional half-day at the Novel Applications of Surface Modification conference and exhibition will be included, on the 20th.  For further information contact the Research Institute for Industry: 023 8059 7052, riifi@soton.ac.uk.

• 3.3  Trefor Owen (BP) asked whether other users had any experience of dealing with corrosion in the splash zone of export risers on unmanned platforms.  These risers typically operate at much higher temperatures than manned platforms, up to 130°C, because no coolers are installed on the platforms.  The temperatures are too high for non-metallic coatings and BP have used Thermal Sprayed Aluminium to coat the hot zone of the super duplex export risers.  There may be other viable options and perhaps other operators have explored alternatives.  It was felt that this was relatively untested.  TWI had done some work on similar areas, though not on risers.

4.  TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS continued. 

4.1       ‘Corrosion failure investigation techniques’, Robin Oakley, QinetiQ

The main meeting closed at approximately 2.45pm, and was immediately followed by the Annual General Meeting.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:

1.           APOLOGIES

I am pleased to report that the Marine Corrosion Forum has had a very successful year in terms of both activity and membership.  As well as the normal one-day meetings held in January, April and October, the MCF collaborated with the UK section of NACE to organise a three day Conference in Edinburgh entitled “Offshore Materials & Corrosion: 40 Years On”.  This was held in June and attracted attendees from the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Kuwait and The Netherlands.  Also during the year, the inter-company project at Leeds University, sponsored by the MCF and now in its third year, has produced a great deal of definitive information which is now being used to develop a model which can be effectively used to predict erosion-corrosion rates. 

This year Keynote Speakers were invited to present at two of the meetings.  Paul Woollin of TWI gave a very informative presentation in January on measures which can be applied to duplex and superduplex stainless steels in seawater under cathodic protection in order to avoid the occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement.  In October, we welcomed Horst-Friedrich Arendt of the German Naval Technical Centre who spoke authoritatively about using physical scale modelling to develop a theoretical understanding of the mechanisms of cathodic protection and how this can be applied to allow more informative design of the impressed current cathodic protection systems used for ships. 

The conference “Offshore Materials & Corrosion: 40 Years On” held in June was well attended, with 61 delegates attending and 13 exhibitor tables taken.  As a review of 40 years of offshore engineering, the meeting encompassed offshore engineering philosophy, material developments, particular corrosion phenomena, advances in coatings and cathodic protection methods, corrosion management system improvements and health and safety requirements.  Presentations by 16 experts in the different specific subject areas covered by the conference were followed by useful question and discussion sessions.  Overall, the venue was good and the organisation went well, this being very ably managed by the Secretariat.   The event was designed to break even financially and this was achieved – in fact, a small profit was recorded.  A CD of the presentations was produced soon afterwards and this was sent to all the delegates and also to members of the MCF. 

Due to the fact that registrants for the Edinburgh conference were offered the opportunity of becoming members of the MCF until January 2007, the membership of the Marine Corrosion Forum has doubled, the number of members currently standing at 54.  It would be very gratifying if all the members who joined at Edinburgh found the organisation of sufficient worth and effectiveness to continue membership in 2007.  As part of the process of finding out how that could be encouraged, a survey was carried out at the conference.  From the results, it would seem that the most sought after presentation topics are (in order of preference) stainless steels, nickel alloys, erosion-corrosion, coating technology, welding, corrosion test methods, cathodic protection and corrosion management.  A number of suggested specific topics were also given as part of the survey.  Armed with this information, the Management Committee will use it to enable the MCF to remain attractive and continue to develop as a useful forum for members to gain information and to seek opinion. 

The MCF website and Metadex survey have continued benefit membership throughout the year.  At present, a survey of Corrosion Testing facilities is being carried out with a view towards making the final list, together with services offered, available to members. 

I will conclude by expressing my thanks to the Secretariat and all the Committee Members for their commitment support and ideas expressed throughout the year.  As has been demonstrated by the past year, their hard work and enthusiasm results in effective meetings and a constructive programme designed to give maximum benefit to members. 

6.      SECRETARIAT’S REPORT    

 ·     At the end of 2006 the membership stood at 27, with the addition of a further 28 members who had joined for the Edinburgh conference.  We gained one full member during the year: Devonport Royal Dockyard.

 ·      The end of year accounts were detailed for members.  Copies are sent to members with the printed minutes. 

 ·      The Management Committee have decided to leave the 2007 subscription fees at the same levels as in 2006.

 The Full membership fees are therefore £640, but with a £100 discount for those companies that pay by 1^st May 2007. 

Overseas membership and Sole Trader membership will be £400 with a similar £100 reduction for prompt payment.  Overseas payments not in sterling will incur a charge of £50 to cover our bank costs.  

 A facility for payment by credit card is now be possible, but there is a small charge for this to cover the costs to MCF of making the credit card transaction.

·      CPD certificates continue to be available at meetings, and we have been pleased to have the recognition of IoM3 and IMarEST for these.

·      The MCF web-site continues to provide a contact point.  The average number of visits to the web-site, for the last quarter of 2006, was 129 per day.  Links on the site enable interested parties to request further information about the MCF, or to request an invitation to a meeting. 

·      The search facility continues to be used regularly.  Recent popular search terms have been: “corrosion, protection,  stainless,  steel, cathodic, coating, standards, seawater, cells, marine and titanium”.  All available abstracts of presentations going back to the early days of the MCF are available on the site.  The News page gives details of conferences and other items likely to be of interest to members.  Further items are always welcomed.

7.      APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTS FOR 2006

 The accounts were passed as correct. 

8.      ANY OTHER BUSINESS

9.      DATES OF NEXT MEETINGS

3 April 2007, Palm Court Hotel, Aberdeen

4 July 2007, Novotel International, Birmingham

10 October 2007, Lloyds Register, London