The European market for steel pipeline
coatings is supplied by two groups, integrated pipeline makers who have their
own coatings operations and independents who specialize in coatings formulations and raw materials as well as services
related to them.
However the independents with their
expertise in coatings chemistry and in the
on-site or field application of coatings are
able to take advantage of the increasing
need for more complex technologies.
With the Nord Stream project, two integrated pipe suppliers—Europipe of Germany and OMK of Russia—are
providing the primary external and internal coatings. But the intricate task of applying concrete coatings to the pipes
across the Baltic Sea to make them heavy
enough to sink to the seabed is being
done by the independent EUPEC
Pipecoatings of France. It has organized
the logistics of having the concrete coatings applied in specially constructed coatings plants in two Baltic Sea ports.
In the gas and oil exploration and production sector in the North Sea, Siberia and
yet-to-be-exploited Artic, there are and will
be much more opportunities for niche
players able to provide coatings for specific
functions in difficult environments.
In offshore, deep-sea oil exploration,
for example, there is a need for an extensive bending of pipes. “Customers are requesting highly flexible coatings,” said
Sean Cornerford, technical services manager for pipe coatings at LyondellBasell, a
leading polyolefins producer.
Also in deepwater operations more use
is made of insulations materials in coatings to provide resistance against the effects of high pressure and high
temperature environments (HPHT).
“The integrated pipe manufacturers
have been increasing their volume sales
faster but the revenues of the independ-
ents have been going up more quickly be-
cause they can provide added-value,
higher-end products,” said Tsalic. “They
can respond to the technological require-
ments of harsher environmental condi-
tions in deep waters where much of
offshore oil and gas is now produced.”
Socotherm of Italy, one of Europe’s lead-
ing independent pipeline coatings produc-
ers and a specialist in deepwater insulation
coatings, went into administration last year
after being financially overstretched by the
costs of international expansion. It is now
majority owned by two equity funds.
Pipeline coatings companies can have
problems gaining a worldwide presence
because of the way that two basic technologies—fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) and
layered polyolefins—dominate different
regions. North America is the stronghold
of FBE and Europe polyolefin systems.
“The reasons seem to be historical,” said
one coatings technical manager. “The way
both regions have stuck to the same basic
technology shows the innate conservatism
of the sector. But it also demonstrates the
tremendous fear of things going wrong as a
result of pipeline ruptures and accidents,
which can cost enormous sums of money.”
In Europe gradually polymers other
than polyolefins are being introduced into
the sector, like polyurethanes, polyamides
and powder coatings. But trials of new
coatings systems and materials, often in
partnership with equipment manufacturers, can take several years before they are
launched on the market.
Borealis, one of Europe’s largest polymer producers, started developing in 2006
materials and an application machine
with KWH Pipeline Technology of Finland for coating field pipeline joints in
which molten polyethylene is used. Coating joints is a crucial part of the pipeline
laying process because the welding between pipe sections is the area where the
most serious ruptures occur.
“Full market launch is now under
preparation including the provision of detailed certification as required by the major
oil and gas companies,” said a Borealis official. “All the big oil and gas companies
have signalled their interest in the process.”
Arkema, a French-based materials producer, has joined with Cybernetix, a specialist in automation and monitoring
systems, to develop a robotic technology
for the internal application of polyamide
11 coatings inside pipelines.
As it looks ahead to a promising future, the pipeline coatings sector in Europe will continue to be mainly a
combination of the two disciplines of
chemistry and engineering. CW
