Marketing Note

MN002_Rev.1_130705

Chartek for Fire Protection of Offshore Structures

The Problem
Offshore oil and gas exploration and production installations can be some of the most
hazardous and demanding environments where fire protection is required. Additionally,
floating production systems (FPSOs) where separation and processing of crude product
takes place are installations which are very demanding on fire protection methods.
Whilst active fire protection systems, including water deluge, can be used to mitigate the
effects of fire, generally these methods are not acceptable to the regulators on their own in
providing integrity to structures and process vessels exposed to a severe fire.
Consequently, passive fire protection, a coating applied to critical steelwork, divisions and
process vessels, is the most commonly accepted method of providing structural integrity
and preventing escalation of the fire itself.
Since the 1970s, various materials have been applied to offshore structures to provide
passive fire protection. In early days the most commonly used material was lightweight
cementitious vermiculite cement. In the 1980s however, new generation of material, epoxy
intumescent coatings, became more regularly used. Today, the most commonly used
material is epoxy intumescent.

The Solution
In the past 30 years, epoxy intumescent materials have become established as the norm for
provision of passive fire protection needs. A number of new test methods and standards
have been developed by the need to test and evaluate these materials capabilities in
severe fire environments, including rapid release of oil and gas forming what is now
commonly known as a jet fire.
The earliest epoxy material to be used extensively for provision of offshore fire protection
was Chartek 59. The Chartek product line has been developed, through subsequent
generations, into a family of products designed to meet specific requirements for offshore
structures. The Chartek materials are unquestionably the most extensively tested and
evaluated products and, in their various forms, have provided the majority of offshore fire
protection needs for over 30 years.

Why Chartek?
Since the earliest version of the Chartek materials, Chartek 59, the objective has been to
provide tough and durable fire protection in severe oil and gas fire environments. With the
latest generation of Chartek products for the offshore industry, Chartek 7 and Chartek 8, it is
possible to design the passive fire protection to provide the highest levels of protection
whilst ensuring minimum weight and cost penalties.
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This document and its contents are the copyright of International Paint Limited and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of International Paint
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Marketing Note
MN002_Rev.1_130705
Each of the Chartek generation of products has had, as a key development criteria, the
need for proven durability and weatherability, that is the ability to be exposed to severe
environments without loss of fire performance. What makes Chartek different?

Materials proven in over 30 years of use Chartek products have been used in
all areas of the world from extreme cold within the Arctic Circle and in the North
Sea to high heat and humidity environments such as the Middle East and tropical
areas. To date, no installation of Chartek has ever been replaced because of
failure of the material itself. Conversely, Chartek has been used, and continues to
be used, to replace both cementitious and other epoxy intumescent products that
have been insufficiently robust.

Corrosion protection and weatherability Chartek materials are tested to

various corrosion protection and weathering standards by methods including
NORSOK M501 with subsequent fire test exposure. In addition as part of
recognised international standards for critical equipment, Chartek materials have
been tested for corrosion protection capabilities as well as durability.

NORSOK M501 the NORSOK M501 test procedure is a demanding cycle of

testing which includes immersion and freeze/thaw test cycles. NORSOK M501 is
perhaps the most reliable test method which truly evaluates the performance of
products and their ability to withstand the rigours of use in exterior environments,
particular offshore locations. Chartek materials have been tested to early and
most recent revisions of NORSOK M501 and have demonstrated that, even
without topcoat protection, their fire protection performance is not compromised by
environmental exposure.

Water uptake the most common reason for failure of epoxy intumescent
materials is water uptake. Correctly formulated products on a sound epoxy resin
basis, such as the Chartek materials, are not susceptible to water uptake.
However, other materials are by their nature hydroscopic with a high propensity
for water uptake. Water uptake can occur during the application process or after
application. The results in either case are frequently softening of the material,
blistering and, if not corrected, corrosion underneath the product.
Most
importantly, the ability of the material to meet its design fire protection requirement
is severely compromised.

Jet fire exposure the rapid release of gas, oil and hydrocarbons in a
pressurised situation results in a highly erosive jet of flame commonly referred to
as jet fire. Chartek materials have been fully evaluated to both large and medium
scale jet fire exposure including the now industry accepted standard OTI 95 634.
Most importantly, Chartek has independent type approval certification from
Lloyds Register of Shipping. Type approval certification is a statement of
capability of the material providing defined performance criteria. Test reports and
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This document and its contents are the copyright of International Paint Limited and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of International Paint
Limited

Marketing Note
MN002_Rev.1_130705
witness statements do not in themselves provide independent third party
verification of materials capability in jet fire.

Mesh reinforcement due to the light open weave nature of our HK-1
reinforcement material, installation is fast and efficient without concerns which
may occur for dense mesh systems where interlayer delaminations are a potential
problem. For the latest products mesh reinforcement is not required for certain
designs, Chartek application is greatly speeded up with full thickness usually
achievable within a single operation.

Additional Reading:
1. Testing and Approvals for Passive Fire Protection Materials (MN007).
2. Epoxy Intumescent Fire Protection Materials Are They All the Same? (MN006).
3. Longevity and Lifecycle Analysis (MN005).

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International Paint Limited, 2005
This document and its contents are the copyright of International Paint Limited and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of International Paint
Limited