MAJOR OFFSHORE OIL & GAS OPERATOR RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR BELZONA 3412 AND BELZONA 8411 ENCAPSULATION SYSTEM
UAE-based Molecular Corrosion Technologies, an exclusive distributor of Belzona for over 38 years, has been working closely with one of their clients, a major Oil & Gas offshore operator, to find a solution to atmospheric and crevice corrosion problems at two oilfields off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
The problems began back in July 2017 when routine inspections were carried out on the flanges and bolts of the piping systems at both oilfields. The inspections revealed severe corrosion which was a result of the aggressive operating environment.
Molecular Corrosion Technologies provided the client with a system consisting of Belzona 3412 and Belzona 8411 as an optimal solution: several trial applications were carried out under normal operating conditions at the oilfields to ascertain the effectiveness of the products against the corrosion. The trial applications were completed at the end of 2018 and a period of assessment then followed.
Located 84km north-west of Abu Dhabi the larger of the two oilfields were discovered in 1963 and produces 640,000 barrels of oil per day, this is expected to increase to 1,000,000 barrels per day by 2024, the field has an estimated 50 billion barrels of oil reserves.
The smaller oilfield discovered in 1958, also located 84km north-west of Abu Dhabi produces 300,000 barrels per day with estimated reserves of 3.9 billion barrels.
Previous to the Belzona trials, the client had been testing a thermoplastic alternative system to try and remedy the corrosion issues faced, however, as the product needed to be applied with specialized equipment it proved uneconomical and impractical as the equipment had to be mobilized and demobilized at each application site.
Launched in 2017, the Belzona Flange Sealing Solution, consisting of Belzona 3412 and Belzona 8411 can encapsulate any shape, size or configuration of flanged joints and many other types of industrial equipment. It was specifically designed to exclude moisture and prevent crevice, galvanic and atmospheric corrosion.
After the assessment period was complete technicians from the client company inspected the applications and were very impressed with the results; this led to the client securing approval for the use of Belzona 3412 and Belzona 8411 at all their offshore oilfields on a general flange protection program.
A spokesperson from the client company explained:
“The Belzona encapsulation system has performed remarkably well during our trials, far better than we had hoped, the ease of use, flexibility and durability coupled without the need for specialist installation equipment make it the perfect choice for this project and now we have secured approval we will continue to use these products across all our offshore facilities in Abu Dhabi”.
Since 1982 the MCT Group of Companies has become one of the leaders in the Construction and Oil & Gas industries in the UAE. Molecular Corrosion Technologies are the exclusive and authorized distributor for the Belzona Polymerics range of composite repairs and specialist coatings. The company also provides on-site application training and instructional services to support all types of Belzona applications.
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