Bench tests of the new development the fiberglass protective coating Kolchuga were successfully completed on the basis of the of Pipeline Coatings and Technologies LLC production site in the town of Volzhsky, on October 30.
During the tests, the coverage possibilities were evaluated by Gazprom PJSC, Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC, Volzhsky Pipe Plant JSC, Gazprom Mezhregiongaz LLC, Giproniigaz JSC, Gazprom StroyTEK Salavat JSC, METACLAY JSC, Gazprom gas distribution Volgograd LLC, Pipe Metals Company JSC, Podzemburstroy LLC, SP VIS-MOS LLC.
Mikhail Anisimov, R & D Director, METACLAY JSC (Skolkovo Innovation Center):
- Today, one of the key problems in the oil and gas industry is related to damage to the outer insulation coating of pipes during construction, repair and operation of facilities, especially with trenchless pipe laying methods - horizontal directional drilling. Our experts found a solution and developed an innovative protective fiberglass coating "Kolchuga", based on the technology of using thermoplastic tape, reinforced with continuous fiberglass. It is intended for pipes with a diameter of 219 to 1420 mm and is able to reliably protect the pipeline from mechanical damage during construction in the most difficult soils at temperatures ranging from -45°C to + 80°C.
Nikolay Gorbatenko, Deputy Head of the Department for Import Substitution and Innovative Development of Gazprom StroyTEK Salavat JSC:
- Protective fiberglass coating "Kolchuga" consists of several layers of thermoplastic glass tape deposited on the pipe at certain angles to the pipe axis by the method of spiral winding. This coating is designed to protect the insulation coating of pipelines from mechanical damage in rocky, gravel-cobble and frozen soils during construction, reconstruction, repair and operation. Additionally, it should be noted that the most effective scope of the protective fiberglass coating is the construction of underwater transitions by the method of horizontal directional drilling.
Alexander Sazonov, Head of the Laboratory of Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC:
- The development of the above coating will improve safety in the construction and operation of pipelines.To date, Gazprom VNIIGAZ laboratories are testing samples of Mail covering applied to pipe samples.Partial tests completed. It can already be noted that the coating provides high durability during longitudinal plunge, impact, there is no delamination during thermal cycling.
Pavel Leonov, Deputy General Director for Development, Podzemburstroy LLC
- The combination of various microtunneling methods used by our company in the overhaul and repair of pipelines, including the innovative “Curve Method” developed and patented by the company, allow trenchless underground penetration of large diameters in soils of almost any complexity.
The problem is that laying the unprotected pipeline in such a penetration is to expose it to the risk of damage to the insulation coating both at the time of installation and later during operation.
The stated characteristics of KOLCHUGA protective coating give us hope for the solution of a large issue complex related to the pipelines protection. The presence of such a protective coating will provide us and our customers with new features that previously were inaccessible.
Roman Shvedov, Gazprom Mezhregiongaz LLC:
- Today one of the industry problems is pipe damage during construction, repair and operation of facilities. Particularly acute is the issue when pulling a pipe using the HDD method (horizontal directional drilling). On the example of conducted tests, Gazprom StroyTEK Salavat JSC and METACLAY LLC announced a fundamentally new product - a protective fiberglass coating KOLCHUGA. The essence of the developed solution is the formation of a protective coating applied over a polyethylene anti-corrosion one by sintering each subsequent layer. The resulting coating has improved physical mechanical properties when exposed to sharp fractions of the soil.
According to the developers the work has been carried out on applying such a material to a PE pipe at the moment. Next the technology is developed on the connection, tie-in and quality control of the connection.
Alexey Stepanov, Chief Engineer, Gazprom Gas Distribution Volgograd:
- I will note that the gas distribution companies generally use polyethylene pipes (GOST R 50838). But nevertheless the designated issues of pipelines laying exist in our industry. According to the developers, this material can be applied to a polyethylene pipe to prevent damage to the gas pipeline during construction, repair and above all during gas pipelines dragging through by HDD method. If the material passes the necessary tests and such work is carried out, then we are certainly ready to participate in the refinement of this decision.
Depending on the scope and the solution of specific problems, it is planned to produce two versions of coating: regular and reinforced. Regular coating can protect against damage during trenching in rocky and permafrost soils including when the backfill soil contains inclusions of gravel, cobles, gravel, crushed stone and larger solid inclusions. Reinforced coating is designed to protect during laying pipe by method of horizontal directional drilling, laying pipelines by dragging through, during underwater construction, railway and automobile crossings, laying gas pipelines in mountainous areas, in complex and multiyear frozen soils, where factory coverage requires additional protection from damage.
In 2019 pilot testing of Kolchuga fiberglass plastic coating at one of Gazprom’s facilities is scheduled.
