Steel Integrity in the Heat of the Moment

Operators within the oil, gas, petrochemical and energy industries are acutely aware that hazards related to fire and explosion present a significant threat to lives, their assets and inventories. They know that corrosion of critical steel structures and process equipment is considered a hazard that can lead to critical equipment or primary structures being compromised. Now, new insight based on a recently published Jotun report sheds light on how the industry better can safeguard assets from fires, and how senior professionals consider the importance of the topic.

Image courtesy of Jotun A/S.

In the oil and gas industry, critical steel structures and equipment require both protection from hydrocarbon fire, as well as steel loss due to corrosion to be able to maintain their designed structural integrity. Fire-related incidents point to corrosion as a significant contributor to an incident’s root cause. It could be corrosion of equipment, valves or piping that leads to a hydrocarbon release that subsequently ignites.

“The cost of operational downtime, combined with financial and environmental consequences related to fire incidents at oil and gas facilities, is a serious issue. However, when you consider the potential risks these incidents represent in terms of human life and damage to assets, this is where we really see the importance of investing in prevention and protection measures,” says Ekaterina Mezhentseva, global solutions manager at Jotun.

Ekaterina Mezhentseva, global solutions manager, Jotun A/S. Image courtesy of Jotun A/S.

A new report facilitated by Jotun, titled Maintenance and Corrosion Management in the Global Oil and Gas Industry, investigates a number of factors related to safety-critical issues within the oil and gas industry. The Jotun report findings are based on the views of over 1,000 senior professionals in this sector. Some of these findings demonstrate that there is still work to be done to spread more awareness around the importance of specifying suitable fire protection measures.

“From our research, the industry acknowledges the role of coatings as a safety matter. However, there is still an underestimation of how big of a fire hazard corrosion potentially can be.”

The report shows that 76% of professionals say reducing risks of fire-related incidents is an important driver behind companies' maintenance strategies. And 74% say protective coatings or paints play an important role in reducing these risks.

“Fifty-six percent of respondents consider corrosion to represent a high risk as a fire hazard. This suggests that some operators may be overlooking the potential increased risks associated with corrosion and the potential for hydrocarbon release leading to a fire-related catastrophic incident. In my opinion, this is a knowledge gap we need to limit, especially considering that data from the European Commission show that around 20% of major refinery accidents since 1984 have been linked to corrosion. More education and awareness around the impact of corrosion on hydrocarbon releases is needed, and Jotun has a role to play in this,” Mezhentseva says.

Passive Fire Protection

Given the nature of the hazards, the potential for structural failure associated with fire and its consequences, there is no doubt that operators accept that reducing the potential causes of hydrocarbon fire, combined with fire mitigation and structural fire protection, is a major priority for asset safety and integrity. However, what solutions can help solve these issues?

Simply put, there are two sides to fire safety within oil and gas operations. On the one hand, you can work to limit fires within facilities, for instance by making sure the integrity of the asset is intact, limiting the possibilities of corrosion and hydrocarbon release. On the other hand, you still need correctly specified structural fire protection protecting the steel assets, to then limit the damage and structural failure if a fire were to develop. “Prevent and protect,” says Andy Czainski, global category manager for fire protection coatings at Jotun.

Andy Czainski, global category manager for fire protection coatings. Image courtesy of Jotun A/S.    

“There are many elements that must come together when designing a robust and appropriate fire protection system for any facility or asset. This is often the result of a risk-based hazard analysis, which will often identify a combination of active fire protection systems alongside passive systems to protect the steel structure from premature and catastrophic collapse. Active systems may include emergency shutdown valves (ESDVs) to cut off hydrocarbon flow to the fire, water deluge or monitor systems to extinguish fires. Passive systems are designed to protect critical steel structures and equipment from rapid temperature rise, preventing premature collapse. This provides a crucial time window where personnel can be evacuated and fires extinguished prior to structural collapse or further incident escalation.”

Sadly, there have been numerous catastrophic incidents in the industry over many decades where suitable corrosion or fire protection measures were not in place. The importance of industry regulation, a suitable risk-based hazard analysis combined with appropriately specified fire protection measures, are now better understood and supported by industry.

The industry has many options to consider when it comes to choosing a suitable passive fire protection (PFP) material to protect critical structures and equipment. These include spray or trowel-applied lightweight cementitious materials (LWC), concrete applied to steel, fire boarding systems or removable insulative jacket-type systems, among others. These systems are designed to protect critical steel structures from temperature rise and premature damage in the event of a hydrocarbon fire. However, it is essential that these are appropriately specified and maintained to avoid early deterioration.

“There are many factors that should be considered when specifying a suitable PFP material, including climatic conditions, corrosive environment, operating temperatures, risk of mechanical damage and performance characteristics of the proposed material. Where these are not considered, there is a risk of premature failure of the PFP and reduced or absence of any protection in the event of fire,” says Andy Czainski, who further explains:

“As an example, lightweight cementitious materials are commonly used in onshore facilities. It is an economical solution and will provide the required fire protection after installation if correctly specified and installed. However, without regular maintenance of the topcoat sealer and joints, the material can rapidly become denatured and eventually water ingress can lead to corrosion of the underlying steel substrate. Cracking, delamination and eventual detachment of the system can then compromise the ability of the system to provide the required steel protection in the event of hydrocarbon fire, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Should this failure occur on a pipe rack or pressurized process vessel, there could then be an increased risk of incident escalation or domino effect in the event of a fire event.”

The Dual Role of Fire Protection Coatings

High-performance epoxy intumescent coatings, also referred to as fire protection coatings, are often chosen by global offshore operators due to their ability to provide the required fire protection performance while simultaneously providing long-term corrosion protection for the life of the asset. Epoxy intumescent coatings can be applied to steel structures during the original construction phase of an asset or as a solution to the repair of aged or deteriorating previously installed fire protection systems, as replacing entire systems can be costly and complex.

“Recent testing and case studies demonstrate that epoxy intumescent PFP materials can be considered as a solution for the repair of aged and damaged existing systems. This includes options for repairing deteriorating cementitious or concrete systems. Following a suitable survey and a risk-based condition report, epoxy PFP can contribute to bringing a facility’s critical structures back to the required protection standard.”

Given their ability to provide combined fire and corrosion protection, epoxy PFP materials can help operators significantly reduce risks associated with aged, deteriorated and damaged existing PFP materials, or areas where corrosion could be a contributor to hydrocarbon release.

“Corrosion under passive fire protection is a well-known challenge within the oil and gas industries. Where underlying steel substrates have corroded under concrete or cementitious PFP materials, they can often go unnoticed, with inspectors believing structural integrity has not been compromised and there is no steel loss,” Czainski explains.

If corrosion has been identified, owners may consider replacement of the damaged system with an epoxy PFP as part of their repair solution given epoxy PFP’s durability performance and corrosion protection capability.

Making Maintenance a Priority

Industry guidance is growing to help operators conduct condition surveys, categorize and repair aged and deteriorating PFP materials. Organizations such as the Energy Institute, PFPNet.com and the UK Health & Safety Executive now have publications or work programs designed to assist operators with these challenges.

“Jotun is supporting these initiatives and industry groups,” Czainski says.

Investing in the maintenance of installed passive fire protection systems represents a modest cost compared to the potential catastrophic consequences of system failure.

“Facilities that neglect to survey the condition of previously installed PFP materials and omit repairs of aged or damaged systems risk financial loss, reputational damage and the safety of their personnel. It all starts with choosing the most appropriate PFP material for the conditions and making maintenance a priority,” Mezhentseva adds.

As a contributor to Jotun’s maintenance and corrosion report, an Australia-based consultant for a global engineering company explained, “The industry has learned that if a fabric/maintenance program is relaxed and not followed when corrosion issues first appear, the cost of repair and remediation is significantly higher, and the disruption to continuous production is more severe.”

Although the oil and gas industry faces serious challenges when it comes to fire protection and corrosion management, solutions available are many, and competency and awareness in the industry are increasing.

“By specifying appropriate and durable fire protection systems, maintaining existing aged and deteriorating fire protection materials and acknowledging corrosion as a potential root cause of hydrocarbon releases, operators can plan toward significantly mitigating the risks and consequences of catastrophic fires and explosions. Further education of safety and corrosion within the industry will contribute to even safer operations,” concludes Mezhentseva.