Pipe Coating and Failure Modes of Mainline & Field Joint Coatings Pictorial Learning's

Michael Surkein Senior Corrosion and Materials Consultant & Jeff Didas Corrosion Specialist ExxonMobil Development Company Houston, Texas OGP Coatings Committee London

Pipe Coatings
Pipe coating purpose Typical selection Mainline & field joint Why coatings fail ? What is the life of a coating ? Pictorial experiences Lessons learned Conclusions

Pipe Coating Purpose

Prevent corrosion of pipe steel Reduce cathodic protection current demand Easy to apply pipe coating Availability Performance Handling Cathodic disbondment Long life Simple field joint EM Global Practices References API & NACE ISO AFNOR ASTM CSA
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Typical - Pipe Coatings of Choice

Selected from EM Global Practices
Main Line Pipe Coatings
Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) Mostly in North America Single or dual layer up to 95 C (200 F) Dual layer for HDDs 3 Layer Polyethylene (3LPE) - up to 80 C (175 F) Common outside US 3 Layer Polypropylene (3LPP) - up to 110 C (230 F) More common outside US FBE, 3LPE, 3LPP Liquid Epoxy Epoxy Urethane Tar Urethane

Field Joint Coatings

No heat shrink sleeves

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Field Joint Selection

Mainline Pipe Coating FBE - Onshore Preferred Field Joint FBE Alternate Field Joint Liquid epoxy or epoxy urethane Liquid urethane

FBE - Offshore 3LPE - Onshore 3LPE - Offshore 3LPP - Onshore

FBE 3LPE 3LPE 3LPP Liquid urethane Liquid epoxy urethane FBE + Solid Polyurethane Epoxy novaloc Fused polypropylene (PP) sheet under evaluation Flame spray PP & new technology under evaluation

3LPP - Offshore Infill Materials - Offshore Polyurethane foam

3LPP (injection molded)

Pipe End Detail

Coating cut-back shall be 125 mm, 30 degree to 40 degree chamfer, and a 50 mm fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) tail; +10 mm or 20 mm.
1)Coating cut-back shall be 125 mm, 30 degree to 40 degree chamfer, and a 50 mm fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) tail; +10 mm or 20 mm.

Figure 1: Pipe End Cross Section

PP or PE Outer Layer Adhesive FBE Primer

Pipe Wall 50 mm FBE Tail 30-40 Chamfer of Outer Layers 125 mm Cut-Back

Field Joint Coatings

Quality & Integrity Typically the weak point in a pipe coating system Aligning field joint coating requirements with mill applied coatings Cutback configuration and integrity is important Multi-layer systems are often challenging Employing skilled field joint coating contractors is critical.

Why Coatings Fail ? Age Selection Application

Which is most important?

What is the Life of a Coating? Determined by design Determined by use Determined by selection Determined by application

Is Handling of Coated Pipe Important?

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Do Pipe Coatings Like Sunlight?

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Do Pipe Coatings Like Sunlight?

Coating thickness Impacted by UV Epoxy will chalk

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Coating Damage?

Long weld seam

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Coating End Bonding

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Coating End Bonding

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Handling Damage

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Storage Protection

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Handling Damage

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Application Quality

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Application Quality

Cathodic Disbondment
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Cathodic Disbondment

Cathodic disbondment testing International standards Company standards Third party labs

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Field Coating Repair

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Coating Blistering

Overheating Surface contamination

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Coating Bendability

Field bends Coating qualification International standards Company standards Testing at lowest installation temperature

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Coating Over Thickness

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Coating Over Thickness

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Coating Poor Adhesion

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Wrinkling

Poor adhesion Temperature Soil stress UV degradation

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Wrinkling

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Wrinkling

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Wrinkling

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Thickness & Curing

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Field Joint Coating Quality

Curing Over thickness Overheating Heating too fast

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Field Joint Coating Quality

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Cracking

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Cracking

Over thickness Curing Bendability Qualification

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Weld Surface Preparation

Difficulty abrasive blasting rough welds

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Final Coating - Visual

Is final visual inspection suitable to determine field joint coating quality?

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Field Joint Coating Quality

Was surface preparation suitable? Adhesion seem questionable.

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Heat Shrink Sleeve Field Joint

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Field Joint Coating & Repair

Heat Shrink Sleeve

Coating Repairs

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Tape Coating Poor Adhesion

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Coating Experts???

Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Meal???

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Pipeline Coating Testing

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Lessons Learned
Select coatings by service conditions Current and future Shipment and storage Do not select coatings by price only Use a quality specification Include detailed requirements Include qualifications Conduct preproduction meeting Use a qualified applicator
Pre-qualify

Use a qualified and experienced inspector

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Three Players Involved

Coating Manufacturer We have the very best materials no second-best here! Coating applicator Were the best and the greatest coating applicators no improper coating jobs! Customer is left holding the bag when the coating fails
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Wrap Up
Any more discussion? Questions?

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Contact Information
Michael Surkein ExxonMobil Development Company 12450 Greenspoint Drive Houston, TX 77060 281-654-4821 Michael.Surkein@Exxonmobil.com

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