The document discusses how advanced oil and gas production processes like SAGD and fracking have increased requirements for lining systems that protect infrastructure from high heat, chemicals, and abrasion. Traditional lining materials are insufficient for these conditions and often fail. A new high-performance lining called Enviroline 405HTR was developed to address these issues with properties like chemical resistance up to 300°F, abrasion resistance, fast cure times, and low VOCs. It has been extensively tested and shown effective in real-world applications. Proper surface preparation and technical support are also important to maximize lining performance for oil and gas facilities.

1. THE WAY
LINING
W
ith the expansion of
steam assisted gravity
drainage (SAGD) and
hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
production technology in North America over the
last 15 - 20 years, Canada and the US are now squarely positioned
amongst the world’s top producers of bitumen and natural gas.
Although the industry has experienced significant technological
advances in these processes, traditional lining systems used in the
industry to protect equipment assets are not keeping up with
the higher standards of protection required by these production
developments. As a result, owners and operators are turning to
their coating manufacturing vendor partners for new technology
solutions that will help ensure their facility structures and
infrastructures continue to keep up with global
production and environmental compliance demands.
Assessing the damage
The oil and gas industry has historically relied on linings systems
formulated from conventional epoxy phenolics, fusion bonded
epoxies, and novolac epoxies. These formulations have provided
fairly reliable protection over the years; however as SAGD and
fracking production processes continue to evolve, a troubling
pattern of systems failures is also emerging:
)) Ultra-high heat steam and harsh chemical additives are both
utilised in the SAGD and fracking processes to help loosen
the thick viscous bitumen found in underground oilsands
and natural gas deposits trapped inside tight shale and rock
Advanced oil
and gas production
processes raise the bar
on lining performance and
compliance requirements,
explain Stephen Streich
and Darryl Corbin,
AkzoNobel, USA.

2. formations. The continuous thermal cycling of extreme high
heat, followed by periods of cool down, combined with
chemical immersion and exposure, can severely compromise
a lining’s integrity and corrode the carbon steel substrate
underneath, causing ruptures.
)) Pipeline exteriors must have the durability to withstand the
abrasive elements of being buried below ground as well as
high temperature cathodic protection. Backfilling operations
and constant movement in the earth can cause rocks and
boulders to shift and scrape against the pipe causing cracks
in the coating material, which expose the steel substrate to
potentially corrosive soil. Likewise, pipeline interiors can also
crack when exposed to continuous radiating heat, chemical
attacks, and pressure of the water solution flowing through
the pipeline.
)) Onsite storage tanks and process vessels used in separating
the oil from the abrasive, chemically-laden water solutions
are especially susceptible to interior corrosion and leakage,
as are those used to clean and treat the toxic water after use.
Tank leakage can result in a complete halt in operation, often
costing millions in lost revenues while repairs are being made.
)) Without proper protection, rapid deterioration of pipeline
and tank interior and exterior linings can have a devastating
impact on the environment through contamination. Health
and safety concerns associated with these repairs and
re-linings must also be addressed each and every time
maintenance and repair operations are performed.
Finding the right protection
In order to properly identify and specify an appropriate lining
system for use in new pipeline or tank construction, maintenance
or repair projects, the owner or operator must first have a
thorough understanding of the operating conditions as well as
their ultimate objectives for installation of the lining system.
They must provide a detailed list of project operating
conditions and the owner’s expectations to the specifier, who
will in turn provide that information to the coating manufacturer.
That list will include items required to maintain proper
application, such as:
)) Variable operating temperatures.
)) Exact chemical concentrations used and duration of
exposure.
)) Abrasion and impact exposures, especially in below ground
pipeline installations.
)) Whether or not the pipeline or tank must be insulated.
)) Application capabilities of the contractor.
)) Climate conditions according to location (i.e. a dry, typically
warmer desert biome, or extreme low temperature tundra
biome such as the North Slope in Alaska).
)) Environmental conditions.
These factors will help the linings manufacturer recommend
and/or develop the appropriate lining technology to meet all of
these requirements and ensure compliance.
In addition, effective linings systems require the optimisation
of other material ingredients that might affect things like
wetting and levelling properties, flexibility, cure times, pot life
and VOC emissions. Together, these elements can make a big
impact on critical performance issues such as temperature and
chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, adhesion characteristics,
application properties and regulatory compliance. Most
importantly, these lining formulations must undergo extensive
laboratory and field testing to demonstrate and prove
effectiveness during actual in-service evaluation.
In an effort to address specific performance and compliance
issues associated with SAGD and fracking production processes,
AkzoNobel developed a proprietary high build, low volatile
compound (VOC) lining in 2004. That technology known as
Enviroline 405HT, has been repeatedly and rigorously tested for
more than a decade and has proven its effectiveness in field
applications across the globe, with successful results validating
its superior performance in high temperature and corrosive
environments.
Figure 1. The unique glass fibre and flake reinforced
technology offers improved durability and corrosion protection,
with efficient application to both interior and exterior of pipes.
Figure 2. Pipeline exteriors must be able to withstand the
abrasive elements of backfilling operations, being buried below
ground with shifting rocks and boulders, and high temperature
cathodic exposure. Cracks in the coating material can expose
the steel substrate to potentially corrosive soil.
REPRINTED FROM WORLD PIPELINES / / 2016

3. Building upon that same technology to raise the bar on
environmental compliance and improved performance in North
American and global applications, AkzoNobel introduced
Enviroline 405HTR into the oil and gas industry in 2015. This
product improvement is in line with the company’s core value of
sustainability.
A leader in global sustainability initiatives, the coatings
manufacturer celebrated its fourth consecutive year with a
number one ranking on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index within
the Materials Industry group.
The unique glass fibre and flake reinforced technology
offers added durability and protection within a broad range
of environments and temperatures – from continuous
immersion in chemicals including crude oil and hydrocarbon
water mixtures of up to 300˚F (149˚C) – to applications with
temperatures as low as 50˚F (10˚C). Highly durable and flexible,
the new formulation provides greater abrasion resistance
and high temperature cathodic protection for underground
pipeline applications and can be efficiently applied in both
the interiors and exteriors of the pipe. The ultra-fast cure
times enables piping to be handled faster and provides for
quicker throughput and increased production. In addition,
the improved substrate wetting and levelling properties
reduce the likelihood of holidays and lining defects, which
decreases the overall time required to identify and repair
lining imperfections. For a pipe manufacturer, this translates
to a speedier inspection process, operational throughput, and
greater efficiency.
These same features allow storage and process vessels to
return to service in as little as 14 hours after coating to minimise
production downtime. Environmental impact is further reduced
through the ultra-low VOC, single coat high build application
(20 - 60 mm), which will help extend the service life of structures
and infrastructures and provide significant savings in labour and
materials costs.
Maximising lining effectiveness
Proper surface preparation of steel substrates is critical for
achieving optimal lining performance – especially in high
temperature immersion conditions. Surfaces must be cleaned
and abrasive blasted to the SSPC SP-5 White Metal Blast
Cleaning standard with no detectable soluble salt limits for
better resistance to corrosive cell formation and coating
adhesion.
Provided that the manufacturer’s product test data meets
the performance requirements of a given project and proper
surface preparation has been completed, other factors
such as trained technical service can improve application
outcomes. For example, AkzoNobel has a dedicated team
of highly trained technical service managers that provide
ongoing customer support throughout the project, as well as
a web-based project and facility asset management program
called Interplan that can manage any coating/lining project
size from initial installation to decommissioning. This type of
support goes a long way in helping owners and maintenance
engineers identify the most urgent areas of repair and relining,
determine the projected cost of the lining installation,
estimated production downtime, and the schedule of facility
maintenance long-term.
Aligning with the future
Some oil and gas experts question whether or not these
advanced production processes will have ultimate cost and
environmental viability in the future, yet recent data indicates
that with better cost-control practices, a clearly defined
project scope during planning to avoid unanticipated events
and ongoing technical process improvements will all play
an important role in these production processes, becoming
established players in large-scale commercial projects long-
term. Indeed, SAGD alone is already being hailed as one of the
least invasive production techniques with lower environmental
impact over conventional open-pit oilsands operations – and
with the highest recovery rate of up to 80%.
Owners staking a claim in this production technology will
continue to strive for operational excellence, better regulatory
compliance and improved cost-efficiencies. Being aligned
with coating manufacturing vendor partners who have shared
innovative vision, a commitment to sustainable practices that
enhance the quality of human lives and the planet, and who
continually seek ways to improve customer productivity and
profitability will help them realise those goals now – and well
into the future.
Table 1. Testing procedures used to evaluate external buried
pipeline coatings for suitability
Test Acceptance
criteria
Test type 405HTR
results
Film thickness Manufacturers
recommendations
SSPC-PA2 20 - 60 mm
DFT
Shore D
hardness
Manufacturers
recommendations
Clause 12.1 of
the standard
80+
28 day cathodic
disbondment at
maximum rate
10 mm maximum
radius
CSA Z245.20,
clause 12.8
5.2 mm at
203˚F (95˚C)
1.5J impact
resistance
No holiday CSA Z245.20,
clause 12.12
Pass
3.0J impact
resistance
No holiday CSA Z245.20,
clause 12.12
Pass
*Testing procedures carried out via CAN/CSA Z245.30-14, coating
type FC1 requirements: liquid-applied or fusion bond epoxy (FBE)
with glass transition temperature of up to 239˚F (115˚C).
Table 2. Additional testing conducted
Test Test type 405HTR results
Adhesion ASTM D4541 Standard
test method of pull-off
strength of coatings
using portable adhesion
testers
Steel: >1500 psi, 11 MPa
Abrasion
resistance
ASTM D4060 CS17 –
wheel 1 kg load, 1000
cycles
65 mg
Elevated
temperature
ASTM D5499 method A 400˚F (204˚C) continuous
exposure
Flexibility
ASTM D5043 standard
test method for plane-
strain fracture touchness
and strain energy
release rate for plastic
materials
Average flexural strength
54 MPa, average flexural
strain 1.55%, average
flexural modulus 4324
MPa
REPRINTED FROM WORLD PIPELINES / / 2016 EX