Fire Proofing & Insulation
An accidental fire is a very real threat to offshore oil and gas operations, something that can come about without warning and escalate rapidly. The demanding conditions of the upstream oil and gas segments provide unique challenges to ensure safety is assured.
For this reason, the structural elements of oil and gas rigs need to be able to withstand the effects of fires, to minimize the likelihood of structural collapse. In order to protect steel structures against fires in oil and gas applications, steel must be fireproofed with passive fire protection (PFP) coatings that have been fire tested to adhere to standards. Passive Fire Proofing allows additional time for staff to get away, and avoid a worst case scenario.
Steel structure fireproofing
Steel structures are highly susceptible to failure under heat, particularly under the extreme heats produced by carbohydrates-fuelled fires on oil and gas rigs. Fireproofing is required through the application of fireproofing coatings to thermally insulate steel from the heat of the fire so that the structure will maintain integrity for longer.