Corrosion Control: The Overlooked Link in the Global Energy Supply Chain
June 30, 2026
A recent visit to the shipyards of Asia underscored a key point in the mind of Caleb Pheneger, President of corrosion solutions provider Cortec® Corporation: “We’re all integrated into this global economy, and the more we work together, the more success we see.” That observation is keenly true in the world of corrosion control.
Why Corrosion Protection Matters Across the Global Energy Supply Chain
As Pheneger traveled to different points of the energy supply chain across Asia, he noted the interconnectedness of materials and corrosion protection. Raw materials from Australia may be fabricated into pipes in China and sent to Indonesia to be installed on an oil and gas module. That module eventually sails to the U.S.A. or any other part of the world where a large greenfield energy project is underway. If, at any point in the asset manufacturing life cycle, corrosion control is lacking, all subsequent stages may suffer from the costly side effects of equipment rework or replacement. For example, if corrosion protection is applied correctly to a HRSG (heat recovery steam generator) that has already been assembled with corroded tubing, it may or may not be acceptable to the project owner despite the best efforts of the last supplier to prevent corrosion.
How Can Energy Companies Prevent Corrosion Across Complex Supply Chains?
The ideal strategy for EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) firms and energy companies to receive uncompromised components is to ensure expert and effective corrosion protection at every stage of the supply chain. One LNG company in Asia showed how this could be done by working closely with Cortec® distributors across multiple countries to ensure corrosion-free delivery of new heat exchangers. After a bad experience with an overseas supplier, the end user wanted to make sure heat exchangers arrived in like-new condition. Cortec® representatives in three countries coordinated to ensure protection all the way from tube fabrication to heat exchanger assembly and delivery.
How to Build Corrosion Protection Into Global Energy Projects
While it can be difficult to orchestrate the many different parts of the energy supply chain alone, the pay-off for corrosion protection from avoiding rework or replacement is worth the investment. Once key players are identified and educated, the rest of the journey is simple. For those unsure of where to start, Cortec® stands ready to help identify key preservation materials and their nearest distributors in each region. Get help integrating corrosion protection into every link of the energy supply chain here: https://www.cortecvci.com/contact-us/
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