Examining The Controversy Surrounding The -850 mV CP Criteria

The 1992 version of the NACE RP0169 cathodic protection standard (CP) for pipelines[1]introduced two criteria involving a minimum potential of -850mV with respect to a saturated copper-copper sulfate reference electrode (cse). The introduction came after about seven years of often rancorous debate between the NACE T-10-1 committee on criteria and some pipeline industry representatives.