| Abstract: | Metallic structures such as oil well casings in contact with soil or submerged under water are subject to corrosion. Leaks that develop in the casing of a well, constitute a serious problem and are expensive to repair. Cathodic protection (CP) is the cost‐effective control of external well casing corrosion. There are certain methods to ensure that the applied CP should meet the required criteria. In CP of well casings, monitoring of potential values is often based on surface E‐log I measurement which is a cost‐ and time‐consuming method. Simulation software and numerical methods often have been used to address this issue. In this paper, simulation of CP has been done by means of a computer software with finite element capability (ANSYS 11). Potential profiles were obtained by selecting different soil electrical conductivities (single‐ and multi‐layered media) and by changing applied current density values. Experimental procedure was established to determine the accuracy of simulation data. The results showed good agreement, especially in the single‐layered medium and at higher values of applied current. |
