Facilities Management
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Dura Composites & wnm limited Provide a
Safe GRP Solution to Corrosion Issues for
Nigerian Oil & Gas Company’s Brine Mixing Pit
D
ura Composites & wnm
limited have provided a
safe, durable and corrosionresistant alternative to
traditional steel for a vital Brine Mixing
plant at a major Nigeria based hub for
West African deep sea oilfield operations.
Fabricated from glass reinforced plastic
(GRP) profiles and grating, the resulting
structure provides a safe working
environment, and is designed for the
future thanks to its inherent strength,
durability and anti-slip properties.
Prior to installation, the mixing pit at the
facility in Onne, Rivers State, Nigeria was
found to have significant issues caused
by the degradation of various steel
components. Steel corrosion (rusting,
or oxidation) is an electrochemical
reaction that occurs when iron atoms
lose electrons in the presence of oxygen
and water. In this case, the effects of
the salts being used within the mixing
pit (calcium chloride and calcium nitrate)
had led to severe corrosion, which is
widely acknowledged as the largest
single cause of plant and equipment
breakdown in the process industries,
66
PECM Issue 20
and which results in an unsafe working
environment that can lead to plant
closures.
Dura Composites’ exclusive Nigerian
distributor wmn Ltd (whose client owns
the plant), were responsible for the
supply and install of the materials.
Dura Composites’ industry
leading GRP products
are manufactured using
high quality fibreglass
produced from the latest
pultrusion processes, and
offer high strength, low
weight, chemical and fire
resistant properties. Dura
Composites uses the latest
CAD design techniques
to produce a bespoke
design using profiles which
are delivered to the site
in manageable sections
for final assembly on
location. Stairways, access
platforms, walkways and
step-over platforms can
be fitted with fibreglass
floor grating to provide a gritted flooring
finish which offers the highest degree
of slip resistance ever measured for a
walking surface, even in the wet and oily
conditions found at the Nigerian oilfield.
For more information about Dura
Composites, visit the website at
http://www.duracomposites.com