MTM Metalizing Completes Largest Project For ExxonMobil
Thermal Spray Coating Procedure Helps Prevent Hazardous Leakage.
MTM Metalizing has carried out its biggest metalizing project to date.
MTM Metalizing, the leader in thermal spray coating, has carried out its biggest metalizing project to date in Singapore. The metalizing company completed on-site Thermal Spray Aluminum (TSA) coating of five large process vessels, the largest being 75m long and 6 m in diameter, as well as numerous spool pipes and pipe field joints used for ExxonMobil Chemicals' Singapore Parallel Train (SPT) expansion project in their Jurong Island Refinery. The procedure helps prevent pipe leakage from Corrosion under Insulation (CUI) which has potentially hazardous results.
Mr Bill Jordan, the General Manager of MTM Metalizing comments "CUI is a major maintenance issue. If moisture collects under the insulation, the steel can corrode leading to pipe leakage with potentially hazardous results." He further pointed out that ExxonMobil reportedly spends around 40% of their global maintenance budget dealing with this issue. "Using a TSA coating on the insulated pipes prevents CUI from occurring, resulting in significant cost savings for the facility owner. Conventional paint coatings have not proven to be a long-term solution, requiring additional inspection and maintenance," noted Mr Jordan.
Elaborating further on the ExxonMobil project, Mr Jordan said that they had coated the fabricated pipe sections (also known as spools), off-site in their workshop and a fabrication yard. Upon completion, the pipe field joints were installed in the pipe racks following which MTM Metalizing staff went onsite into the live refinery to do the field welds.
"The off-site pipe spools coating works were completed with arc spray and the on-site refinery work was done with flame spray as per the current Exxon safety guidelines," added Mr Jordan. He pointed out that some 300 field welds were coated on-site.
"There are many dangers working inside a live refinery. The metalizing process and grit blasting are defined as hot work, which require additional precautions in order to prevent initiating fires or explosions. Most of the work is also carried out at heights and in areas of restricted access. "That said, we can expect more metalizing opportunities in the oil and gas industry as the region becomes increasingly inter-connected and more companies realize the long-lasting benefits of metalizing," he added.
SOURCE: MTM Metalizing