Belzona composite wrap restores corroded carbon steel pipeline

Belzona Inc. (Harrogate, U.K.) announces its two-part epoxy paste, epoxy structural adhesive, composite wrap and anti-corrosion coating have been used to repair an underground oil pipeline at a refinery in Spain that had been suffering from severe corrosion. If left unchecked, the pipeline, 872 meters (2,860.8 feet) in length, would incur severe metal loss.

A prompt repair was required for the 22-inch-diameter carbon steel pipeline, in order to mitigate any further corrosion damage. In fact, if left unchecked, this would have caused the substrate to completely corrode through and, therefore, serious environmental issues could have ensued.   

A potential solution would have been to completely replace the pipeline. However, considering its size, this process would have required considerable financial expenditure and a high carbon footprint; for every ton of steel that is produced, 1.85 tons of CO₂ — nearly double the amount — is released back into the atmosphere, according to Carbon Clean. In addition to this, the process of removing and disposing of the damaged pipeline could further maximize the carbon footprint of this process. This process would also require a considerable period of downtime, which would lead to further profit-loss.

Belzona’s customer, who had been searching for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution, decided to repair and protect the pipeline with a combination of polymeric technology.  
 
The following systems were specified and applied following an inspection from Elena Expósito Fernández, AMPP (NACE) certified coating inspector level 2 and a technical-commercial delegate at Rodator Composites, an authorized Belzona distributorship:

“The two-part epoxy paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal), is specified to fill in any gaps in the weld seams to enable the pipeline had a smooth profile. For heavily corroded areas, plate bonding was required using steel plates which were 19.9 × 23.6 inches in size, with a thickness of 5 millimeters. These were bonded into place using the epoxy structural adhesive, Belzona 7311. To reinforce the pipeline, the composite wrap, Belzona SuperWrap II, was specified. Finally, the anti-corrosion coating, Belzona 5811 (Immersion Grade), was chosen to provide long-term corrosion protection.”    

The customer was able to successfully bypass the drawbacks associated with complete pipeline replacement by instead, opting to repair and protect the pipeline with a combination of polymeric technology. 

As the oil and gas industry continues to decarbonize, polymeric technology is a viable way in which oil and gas asset managers can mitigate the carbon footprint of their facilities, according to Belzona. The company also states that an increased uptake in the use of cold-applied repair composites and protective coatings can help to accelerate the decarbonization of this industry.