A new product that could help prevent future oil spills due to ageing infrastructure, as well as bring back incomplete quasi-abandoned government buildings, was launched in Port-of-Spain at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad.Trinjet Services Ltd and Innovative Coating Solutions Ltd (ICSL) partnered to host a seminar for heavy industry professionals to extol the benefits of its new corrosion prevention systems.
"We have a problem in this country with maintenance. Let us maintain before we have to do it again," Stephen Lucas, the civil works director at Trinjet said to the T&T Guardian in an after-presentations interview.When asked during his presentation, Keith Eddy, an oil and gas consultant at ICSL, confirmed that Rust Grip could have prevented many of the leaks in the December oil spills in La Brea if they were due to corrosion and ageing infrastructure.
He told professionals from public- and private-sector oil and gas companies that if all the pipes of the oil and gas infrastructure at Petrotrin were coated with Rust Grip, a spill due to leakage from corroded parts of the pipelines would have been impossible.Eddy who previously worked at Halliburton, Petrotrin and the BG Group said: "I have been trying to get this product on Petrotrin's approved list. It could fix a lot of the issues that Petrotrin has out in the field. Some of the things that you feel you have to discard can be saved."
Rust Grip completely seals out all air, moisture and chemicals, he said. It is resistant to abrasion and corrosion. "Corrosion is corrosion, and offshore, (oil and gas) platforms are miles out at sea, and we know the harsh environment they face, with salt and winds and so on," he said. Rust Grip can stand up to that environment, he said. Showing the audience the tests and certifications the product has from US authorities, he said: "If I were still at BG I would use it."
He defined Rust Grip as "liquid encapsulation coating to seal virtually any surface and protect it against corrosion, weather and physical wear." Lucas said it has a lifespan of 10-15 years, at the end of which customers can test and re-coat.Eddy said Rust Grip can also be used on the inside of pipelines and tanks holding potable water. He said it can be used on metal, concrete and wood.Eddy also presented a cousin product called Enamo Grip which is what he recommends where a slick but tough finish is needed.
Lucas said Rust Grip's anti-corrosion system can also be applied on underwater pipes. Eddy showed the audience a series of "before and after" underwater applications in the US oil and gas industry. Eddy said Rust Grip can also be used with moist metal as "a double whammy" for preventing leakages.Lucas said he expects a boost in anti-corrosive products with increased activity in T&T's deepwater blocks. Rust sells for $1,324.80 per gallon, which is more expensive than some other coating products on the market.
However, Eddy said: "If you look at it from the perspective of your reduced maintenance schedule, you will actually be saving money."Rust Grip can also bring back or restore some of the abandoned, often government-funded, concrete and steel eyesores across the country, Eddy said in response to a question from the audience. Lucas reiterated the point saying the product could also be used in domestic renovations and upgrades.
Trinjet CEO David Edwards told the gathering: "It will save you and your company a lot of money."Edwards said it would have a direct impact on employee bonuses where employees get bonuses for saving their companies money.