Specialist vessel operator Caspian Offshore Construction (COC) turned to supplier PPG for a hi-spec coating for four of its ice-class Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs)
The operator demanded a solution simple enough for local application and resilient enough for severe ice conditions.
Established in 2003[ds_preview], COC has grown into one of the leading providers of offshore marine fleet services in the Caspian Sea. The company has an extensive stable of offshore support vessels and offers a range of marine offshore support services, including management, operation and maintenance, as well as newbuilding supervision and the modernisation of existing tonnage. Its owned fleet consists of 19 vessels, the majority of which were recently-built at European shipyards, with a total operated and managed fleet of about 40 vessels.
Operating in the harsh environment of the Caspian Sea, COC has exacting requirements for maintenance of its vessels, which must perform to a high standard in a region that sometimes lacks the latest technology. The company had specified the need for a twin-feed spray pump in order to apply a competitor’s product.
However, while being ready to apply the competitor’s product, COC could not locate a shipyard in the region with the required twin-feed spray pump. Working directly with the operator, PPG was able to propose a solution for the application of a suitable high performance coating on four icebreakers, »Mangystau-1«, »Mangystau-3«, »Mangystau-4«, »Mangystau-5«, all of which regularly sail in heavy ice conditions.
PPG recommended the highly resilient »Sigmashield 1200« coating to provide optimal protection from the impact of ice abrasion and accretion. According to the supplier, it can be applied by cold, single-feed airless spray equipment, as opposed to the hot, twin-feed system previously specified. »The coating is based on a very hard filler composition, providing excellent anti-abrasion properties built on a highly cross-linked phenolic epoxy technology, further extending the service life of the coating by greatly increasing the ›creep resistance‹«, PPG states, emphasizing a global track record in protecting ice-going vessels.
A subsequent diving survey of the vessels after operation in ice-going conditions showed that there was no damage on the coated vertical sides of the hulls as a result of ice impact. COC’s technical management commented: »Our vessels face severe ice-going scenarios and need the most effective protection for their hulls. Once we carefully assessed Sigmashield 1200 and its use in similar situations, we were convinced that it would give our vessels the best protection. Additionally, its single layer application with standard equipment saved a great deal of time during the dry dock stage.«
According to information provided by PPG, the single-coat application – recognized by Lloyd’s Register as an abrasion-resistant ice coating and by Aker as a low-friction surface coating for ice breaking ships – is suitable for newbuild, maintenance and repair applications. Other advantages are said to be an outstanding impact and abrasion resistance, smooth surfaces that promote fuel savings, an »excellent« cathodic protection and creep resistance, reducing the size (and therefore cost) of repair areas, »excellent« single-coat application properties using standard equipment (also possible in winter conditions) and a reduced explosion risk and fire hazard.
