Objective To establish a method for the calculation of the residual strength of the pipeline with low conservation and double corrosion defects. Methods The residual strength of the pipeline with double corrosion defects was analyzed by nonlinear finite element analysis method. The reliability of the method was verified by experiments. The influence of the axial distance on the failure pressure of double corrosion defects in the pipeline with the same corrosion depth and length and the different corrosion depth and length at the cross position with different ring spacing or axial distance were calculated. The concept of the interaction coefficient of double corrosion defects was proposed for the first time, and it was applied to the calculation of the failure pressure of the double corrosion defects. Results The results showed that when the axial spacing exceeded a certain value, the interaction of double corrosion defects disappeared. Double corrosion defects were likely to reach or close to the full interaction only when the axial distance was very small or the two axial corrosion contacted. In the range of interaction, the interaction of double corrosion defects changed with the axial distance. When the axial projection of double corrosion was completely coincident, the corrosion ring spacing had little effect on the two corrosion defects. When the axial projection of double corrosion was not completely coincident, the effect of the ring spacing on the double corrosion defects was not negligible. When there was a certain ring spacing between two corrosion defects, the interaction of two corrosion defects increased first with the axial distance and then decreased. Conclusion The proposed concept of the interaction coefficient can solve the calculation of the failure pressure of the pipeline with double corrosion defects.