Abstract: A method for monitoring the state of, and for locating any detachment of, the protective covering of immersed or buried pipelines or other metal structures subjected to cathodic protection with constant current, on the basis of the overall electrical resistance offered by the pipeline/covering/ground system, consisting of applying local sinusoidal wave excitation currents of different frequencies to the pipeline and measuring the corresponding voltage responses, then comparing the measured responses of the system to determine, on the basis of response differences or coincidences at the various frequencies, whether within the portion under consideration there is detachment with corrosion underway or whether there is simple covering decay.