Giving a 30-Year-Old Offshore Rig a New Lease of Life with Jotun Coatings
Some industrial assets are designed to last.
But after more than 30 years working in the North Sea, even a heavy-duty offshore drilling rig needs serious refurbishment.
The Well-Safe Guardian, an Earl & Wright Sedco 700-series drilling unit originally delivered in 1985, had spent more than three decades operating on the UK Continental Shelf.
By 2019, the rig was being prepared for a new role as a well plug and abandonment platform, requiring substantial refurbishment before it could return to service.
The project involved major repairs to thousands of square metres of structural steel at Nigg Energy Park on the Cromarty Firth in Scotland.
And protecting that refurbished steel was going to be just as important as carrying out the repairs themselves.
A Major Refurbishment Project
The refurbishment contractor, Access & Coatings, a division of Global Energy Group, was responsible for the fabric maintenance work.
The scale of the project was considerable.
Approximately 2,950m² of repairs were required across the box girder and underside of the helideck, while a further 4,800m² of repairs were required across the VDM and columns.
That meant the coating system needed to provide reliable protection across a substantial amount of steelwork while also being practical to apply within a major refurbishment programme.
The Jotun Coating System
A number of Jotun products were selected for different parts of the refurbishment:
- Barrier Smart Pack
- Jotamastic 90 WG
- Hardtop One
- Marathon 550
This combination allowed the coating system to be tailored around the requirements of the steelwork and the demanding offshore environment.
Jotun's Marathon 550, for example, is a surface-tolerant, abrasion-resistant epoxy designed for high-corrosivity environments and is suitable for applications including splash and tidal zones.
Meanwhile, Hardtop One provides a durable polysiloxane finish with strong colour and gloss retention, helping the finished asset retain its appearance as well as its protection.
Application Efficiency Was Critical
For a project of this size, coating performance isn't the only consideration.
Application efficiency matters too.
The project team highlighted the workability of the selected Jotun products, including their suitability for spray application.
The coating inspector involved in the project specifically noted the performance of Barrier Smart Pack and Hardtop One when sprayed, including their handling, film thickness and ability to produce a firm, closed coating without problematic dry spray.
Preparing the Rig for Its Next Chapter
The Well-Safe Guardian project is a great example of industrial coating being used as part of a much larger asset refurbishment programme.
The objective wasn't simply to make an old rig look better.
It was to repair, refurbish and protect a major offshore asset so that it could continue operating in a new role.
From offshore structures and drilling equipment to fabricated steel and industrial infrastructure, the right coating system can play a major role in extending the useful life of an asset.
Industrial Coatings Ltd supplies Jotun protective coating systems for demanding industrial applications.
Need help selecting a coating system for your next refurbishment project? Contact our team.
