Abstract
Historically, the coatings used in the splash zone have been either heavy duty coal tar epoxy or a glassflake epoxy. In 1982 Conoco justified a minimum 20 year service life for a sealed thermal sprayed aluminium (TSA) coating for the Hutton TLP risers and tethers. In 1984 the Hutton TLP was installed with 200 microns thickness TSA as the corrosion protection coating and without adding a corrosion allowance. After eight years service the TSA coating on the production risers and tethers is still in good condition. It was noted that the splash zone area was indistinguishable from the remainder of the inspected components. However, there was a noticeable difference between the production risers and the tethers. The tethers having a vinyl sealer showed a blistered surface while the risers with a silicone sealer did not show any blistering. No corrosion has been observed underneath any of the blisters. The importance of adequate sealers in connection with blistering has been documented by testing. The excellent long term performance of TSA coating in the splash zone has been further documented by the results of field studies published in the last few years. These experiences indicate that TSA coatings properly applied and with the use of specific sealer systems may provide a service life in excess of 30 years with no required maintenance.
