AMPP O-CAT study guide
AMPP O-CAT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The AMPP Offshore Corrosion Assessment Training (O-CAT) is a corrosion-assessment credential offered within the education and certification portfolio of AMPP - The Association for Materials Protection and Performance, which describes itself as the largest global community for corrosion and coatings expertise. O-CAT is aimed at personnel who evaluate the condition of offshore structures and their protective systems, where corrosion control decisions carry direct safety and integrity consequences. The AMPP O-CAT study guide has 5 sections and about 1,531 words.
01Corrosion and Corrosion Control Fundamentals
Offshore corrosion is an electrochemical process: an anodic reaction (metal dissolution, e.g. Fe → Fe²⁺ + 2e⁻) and a cathodic reaction (oxygen reduction in aerated seawater, hydrogen evolution in anaerobic/sour service) coupled through the electrolyte.
325 words, about 2 min02Offshore Structures and Materials
Offshore structures fall into fixed (jacket, gravity-based, monopile), floating (semi-submersible, FPSO, spar), and subsea categories, each with distinct corrosion exposure zones: atmospheric, splash, tidal, submerged, and mudline/buried. Candidates should know the structural role of members (legs, braces, conductors, risers, mooring chains) and how design and fabrication details drive corrosion: weld metallurgy and heat-affected zones, hydrogen-induced cracking in high-strength steels, fatigue at welded joints, and sour service limits per NACE/ISO material requirements.
300 words, about 2 min03Coatings and Protective Systems
Coatings are the primary barrier on offshore structures. Candidates should know generic types - epoxies (including high-build and glass-flake), polyurethanes, zinc-rich primers, thermally sprayed aluminum (TSA), and elastomeric or neoprene sheathing - and their roles: barrier, inhibitive, and sacrificial (galvanic) protection.
299 words, about 1 min04Cathodic Protection of Offshore Structures
CP shifts the steel potential to a protected range by supplying electrons. Galvanic (sacrificial anode) systems using aluminum or zinc anodes are standard offshore; impressed current systems (ICCP) are used where current demand is high or weight matters.
314 words, about 2 min05Inspection, Assessment, and Integrity Management
Integrity management ties inspection to risk. Candidates should know risk-based inspection (RBI), the plan-do-check-act cycle, and the role of baselining, scheduled surveys (general visual, close visual, NDT), and specialized techniques: ultrasonic wall-thickness mapping, flooded member detection, MPI/DPI for welds, and CP potential surveys.
293 words, about 1 min