Trelleborg Thermal Insulation and Coating for Shah Deniz 2

Trelleborg’s offshore operation has been awarded its largest single order for thermal insulation and corrosion coating services for phase II of the BP Project, Shah Deniz, contracting directly to BOS Shelf LLC.

The contract represents the most significant order Trelleborg’s offshore operation has received for thermal insulation solutions in the last decade, the company said.

It is expected to begin in 2015 and run until approximately 2022. In addition to product supply, Trelleborg is supporting BOS Shelf LLC on the ground at a purpose built coating facility set up to withstand the potentially extreme conditions of the area.

Trelleborg will supply in excess of 1,000 tonnes of its Vikotherm P7 high temperature insulation material to be applied to the flowline structures of the project, over a period of five years. To facilitate the order, Trelleborg will support BOS Shelf in establishing a purpose built custom coating facility as well as installing two polyurethane dispensing machines and a site specific laboratory at BOS Shelf’s facility in Baku, Azerbaijan. A crew of up to 25 operational personnel and administration staff, a percentage being local to the region, will also be employed at the location.

Paul Spikins, senior coating engineer for BOS Shelf, said: “The Shah Deniz project is extremely high profile and charts new territory, both in its innovation and its geography. Given the sheer size of the project and the distance the pipe has to travel, it is imperative that all products used are of the highest standard and will last the project’s lifetime.

“We were assured of Trelleborg’s product expertise in this application from previous project success and strong track record. However, Trelleborg is doing more than simply supplying the product; they are going the extra mile to deliver the best quality insulation against the timeline by setting up a local facility in Baku. The additional support on the ground will be invaluable and will enable us to keep the project on track from beginning to end.”

Jonathan Blackburn, project manager for Trelleborg’s offshore operation, said: “Our insulation experts will work in the new purpose-built insulation facility, which is designed to cope with the varying climate conditions in Baku. In addition, they will also work on the dockside in custom-built habitats that are designed to protect the team, the equipment and the product, in order to deliver the highest level of quality, no matter what the conditions. Our ability and willingness to commit this type of investment in a project is one of the ways Trelleborg performs at every level in the offshore oil and gas industry. Few other suppliers can or will do this.”