GCG Shotblasting Services
Maintaining integrity
The impact of GCG Shotblasting Services entering the oil and gas industry was felt in 1985, when its first customers began to benefit from the expertise that it offered.
Aiming to be at the forefront of technology for the protection of vital equipment, the company has invested heavily in research, training and equipment to keep it trading at the leading edge. With one of the largest sites in Scotland, GCG has the ability to coat any size and shape of equipment at its purpose-built site in Peterhead. Strategically, the business is well positioned in a location close to deepwater North Sea docking facilities, ensuring easy access by road or sea.
Designed specifically for shotblasting and applying conventional coatings, its fully equipped yard and in-house facilities provide the capacity to blast and coat large structures and equipment. The purpose-built shotblasting and coating facility benefits from over 140,000 cubic feet of space, with full extraction systems and a recycling system. Away from its land-based location, the offshore division is available to coat equipment at a client’s site, anywhere in the world. Specialising in durable coatings, its solutions actively defend subsea and topside structures against degradation, shielding pipework, steelwork and valuable equipment from the damaging conditions in inhospitable locations.
From platforms in the North Sea and oil refineries in Scotland, to boats in the Pacific Ocean and anything in between, its highly trained team of coating experts will assess the job, agree the timescales with the client and work within a safe, controlled environment to apply the specialist protection best suited to the requirements. GCG was one of the first companies in the UK to provide Thermal Spray Aluminium (TSA) application to the oil and gas industry, nearly 30 years ago, positioning the business as a leader in the application. TSA is a technology that protects and greatly extends the life of a wide variety of products in the most hostile environments and in situations where coatings are vital for longevity. The variety of metallised coatings can be broken down into two main categories: finishing coatings, such as anti-corrosion or decorative coatings, and engineering coatings such as wear resistant and thermal barrier coatings. Thermal spraying is carried out in a wide range of anti-corrosion and engineering markets, including oil and gas, construction, petrochemical and marine, where corrosion is a major problem.
In 2013 the company launched its newest coating, PPC553. The specialist coating has a cure time of six seconds and can be applied to minimally prepped steel, promoting a life span of 40 to 50 years. The long lasting, fast drying product requires very little maintenance. Developed as a direct response to market demand, it will save oil and gas operators a significant amount of money as it reduces the frequency of shutting down a platform for maintenance procedures. In scenarios where generic epoxy and polyurethane paints are currently used on offshore platforms, the new coating will extend current life spans over tenfold.
Beyond the maintenance savings, the product additionally promotes substantial health and safety benefits by addressing the corrosion and erosion issue, extending the structural integrity of the platform. The material is also solvent free, with zero VOCs and CFCs, and is compatible with the environmental objectives of GCG’s clients.
Because of the harsh conditions to which oil and gas assets are subjected on a daily basis, GCG deals with both brand new equipment that needs to be protected and older kit that needs recoating to prolong its life. In all situations the priority of the business is to apply coatings quickly and safely, working closely with the maintenance team to fit in with the client’s schedule and deadlines, minimising the downtime, and therefore the costs, involved.
With the increasing amount of ageing equipment in the North Sea, safeguarding asset integrity is more important than ever. The highest quality corrosion control is required to mitigate the degradation of offshore pipework and structures, avoiding the loss of hydrocarbon containment. Indications within the industry are that over the next five years the demand will continue to grow. GCG is ideally placed to meet this demand now that the PPC553 has been released. The product was one of the highlights at the Offshore Europe event in 2013 and received much attention from a variety of interested businesses throughout the world.
In keeping with its original aims, GCG is constantly looking to the future, researching new techniques and technology that can benefit customers and protect assets in the most cost-effective way. Moving forward on that basis, 2014 is looking to be an exciting year for the company.
GCG Shotblasting Services
Services: Corrosion protection