Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has conducted the first survey of production of external concrete coating for subsea pipelines using spray-up techniques.

The external concrete weight coating (CWC) is used to provide negative buoyancy, mechanical protection and submerged stability of steel gas, oil, product and water pipelines. Survey of steel pipes with external CWC was performed by the RS Head Office from July to September 2015.

The survey was carried out for compliance with the Rules for the Classification and Construction of Subsea Pipelines.

Based on survey results, an official ceremony of issue of the RS Type Approval Certificate for Concrete Weight Coating for steel pipes with the diameters from 219 mm to 1420 mm for subsea oil-, gas-, product pipelines and water pipelines was held at LLC “Pipeline Coating and Technology” in Volzhskiy, Volgograd region on September 14, 2015.

Nowadays, RS has been actively investing in the development of the rules for oil and gas fields infrastructure and measures to reduce risks during operation of offshore structures in the harsh climate conditions. Rules on subsea pipelines will be republished in 2015, new editions of the rules for the oil & gas equipment and subsea production systems are being prepared.