Ever since Hempel opened its first paint factory in the Gulf region in 1966, Saudi Aramco has been a prime customer.
It was because of the rapidly increasing needs of Aramco that Hempel established the first paint manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia in 1973.
Previously, Aramco demand had been supplied from Hempel Kuwait.
Today, although Hempel has factories in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE in addition to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and has an enormous customer base across marine, protective and decorative markets, Saudi Aramco is still a core business partner.
Using Hempel's worldwide expertise in providing coatings for use in the harshest environments, Aramco has protected countless miles of structural steel work and pipelines, tanks, building and vessels.
One of the products used is Hempadur 85530, approved under Aramco APCS113 specification as a field-applied renovation coating and successfully used in the Gulf region for more than twelve years.
Hempadur 85530 offers excellent corrosion protection and good cathodic disbondment resistance, making it ideal for use in areas where there is a high water table. This high build coating is easy to apply with standard equipment and has a long pot-life (more than one hour at 40 deg C), making it suitable for application at the high temperatures experienced in the Gulf.
Furthermore, it is self-priming, requires only a single coat application and can be applied on hot surfaces. All this adds up to a product ideally suited for refurbishment work out in the field.
However, Hempadur 85530 is not the only pipecoating available from Hempel. Hempadur 87540 is an amine-cured, solvent-free epoxy for use as a renovation coating for pipelines.
This product is also suitable for use in severely corrosive environments. Of particular interest is that it has excellent temperature resistance, up to 150 deg C, making it particularly suited for use on Khuff gas lines. As with Hempadur 85530, it can be used in subkha areas. It is also self-priming, can be applied in a single coat and is fast curing, enabling a quick backfill time. This product is also approved under APCS113.
Hempadur patch compound 85540 is another pipe repair product from Hempel. Designed to repair localised mechanical damage and for repairing girth welds on FBE-coated pipes, this product is also approved under APCS113.
Hempel also recently announced the launch of a new protective coating, Hempadur Mastic 45881. This new coating is a two-component, polyamide adduct cured epoxy coating which has excellent adhesion properties.
Indeed, it can be used as a surface-tolerant, self primed system if required, or in conjunction with a primer and/or topcoat.
Hempadur Mastic 45881 dries faster than conventional epoxies, yet still has a long pot life, making it an ideal product for warm climates.
This high solids, high build coating can be used on structural steel and for above the waterline marine applications such as decks and super structures.
The above products, and indeed the pipecoating range, represent only a small part of Hempal's total protective coatings range.
In addition to supplying high quality protective coatings, Hempel has long recognised that, in order to obtain the optimum result, the substrate must be correctly prepared and the coating system applied according to the manufactuers' instructions.
Hempel therefore has specialist Technical Service Departments throughout the Gulf whose primary role is to provide technical advice and assistance to customers on a range of paint-related matters.
The Technical Service Departments can advise on the required surface preparation, the most appropriate paint system and the most cost effective application method.
