Coatings protection for North Sea giant

Citation

(2001), "Coatings protection for North Sea giant", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 48 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2001.12848aaf.001

Coatings protection for North Sea giant

Coatings protection for North Sea giant

Keywords: International Protective Coatings, Coatings, Offshore

The world's largest single "jack-up" built – the PUQ (production/utilities/quarters) for the Elgin/Franklin Development in the North Sea oil and gas fields – is protected from the elements by products from International Protective Coatings (Plate 1).

The Elgin and Franklin fields, operated by TotalFinaElf Exploration UK plc, are located 240km east of Aberdeen in the Central Graben Area of the North Sea. The development is the largest on the UK Continental shelf, costing £1.6 billion. Production on the fields is expected to last until 2022.

Plate 1 The world's largest single "jack-up", a PUQ (production/utilities/quarters) for the Elgin/Franklin Development in the North Sea is towed out

A consortium of three companies – Technip UK Ltd, McDermott Marine Construction Ltd. and BARMAC – won the contract for the design, fabrication, installation, hook-up and commissioning of the PUQ.

The platform was built by BARMAC in its dry dock at Nigg, Ross-shire, on the Cromarty Firth. It was BARMAC which selected the coatings from International. The North Sea presents some of the most hazardous and extreme environments for offshore structures anywhere in the world. International has been developing coatings specifically for these conditions since offshore exploration began and have supplied BARMAC before.

Products used on the PUQ include: Interzone 505 (a glass flake epoxy designed for the aggressive splash zone) on the legs and hull; Interseal 670HS (a low VOC, high build, high solids surface tolerant epoxy) on the tanks; and Interfine 629HS (a low VOC, isocyanate-free, cross-linking acrylic, gloss finish) on the topsides and hull. The intumescent fire protection coating Chartek 4 (which holds specific jet fire qualifications and other approvals) was used on the undersides of the hull and key areas of the structural steel. The approximate value of the coating contract was £2.5 million.

The construction of the PUQ has itself set several new records for offshore construction. Work on the 43,000 tonne structure began in 1997. The design, jack-up style (as conceived by French company Technip) was chosen to house the facility in preference to a conventional fixed production platform. The main advantage was said to be that it could be built in one complete unit onshore, where virtually all commissioning work was also completed.

In July last year, the platform was towed out to the Elgin field. After it was manoeuvred into position, its legs were lowered to the sea bed and the 27,800 tonne deck was jacked up by 28m (the equivalent of ten storeys). Its design means that the PUQ can be refloated and removed from the site when the work is finished.

The complex structure has a surface area of 5,000m² – approximately the size of 20 tennis courts – and stands 220m from the base of its legs to the tip of the flare – four times the height of Nelson's Column. The Elgin field's wellhead platform is linked to it by a 100m bridge. Hydrocarbons from both fields will be processed on the PUQ before being carried ashore via separate export lines.

Inside the hull, the utilities include the main control room and power distribution systems, workshops and living quarters for 69 people. A permanent crew of 48 will run the platform. Their accommodation includes a dining room, galley and recreation rooms. The main deck of the hull supports the topside facilities and production and processing systems.

Further details are available from International Protective Coatings. Tel: +44 (0)20 7479 6000; Fax: +44 (0)20 7479 6555; E-mail: jim.kavanagh@uk.akzonobel.com