Surface Preparation Technologies for Subsea and Field Joint Coating

Subsea pipelines and field joint coatings represent some of the most demanding surface preparation challenges in the oil and gas industry. The combination of remote location, strict environmental controls, complex substrate geometry, and stringent coating performance requirements creates a challenge that conventional abrasive blasting often cannot meet economically — or at all.

The Subsea Surface Preparation Challenge

For offshore and subsea pipeline construction, surface preparation must occur on or near the laybarge — in an environment where abrasive containment is impractical, air compressor capacity is limited, and work cycles must align with pipe laying rates. Each field joint must be prepared to specification and coated before the pipe continues its journey to the seabed.

The stakes are high: a poorly prepared field joint is a potential corrosion initiation point that will be inaccessible for the entire service life of the pipeline — often 25 to 40 years. Getting it right the first time is not optional.

The Two-Step MontiPower Approach for Field Joints

MontiPower has developed an integrated approach for field joint surface preparation that eliminates the need for abrasive blasting while meeting or exceeding specification requirements:

Step 1 — Tercoo®: Where field joints exhibit mill scale, light corrosion, or residual coating from the factory applied coating, the Tercoo® heavy removal tool provides the initial mechanical cleaning. This removes bulk contamination and reduces the work required for the final preparation step.

Step 2 — Bristle Blaster®: The Bristle Blaster® creates the final anchor profile and cleanliness level — achieving Sa 2½ / SSPC-SP10 and 65–85 µm Rz. This surface condition is accepted by field joint coating manufacturers including heat-shrink sleeve systems, polyurethane systems, and epoxy-based field joint coatings.

The Cleantech Prepper

For high-volume laybarge field joint preparation, MontiPower developed the Cleantech Prepper — a purpose-built system that automates the Bristle Blaster® action around the circumference of a pipe, providing consistent, repeatable preparation across every joint at production-line speed.

The Cleantech Prepper delivers:

• 360° preparation around the full pipe circumference in a single pass
• Consistent anchor profile without operator variability
• Integrated vacuum dust extraction for a cleaner working environment
• Designed for integration into laybarge field joint stations
• Proven on major deepwater and shallow water pipeline projects

Coating System Compatibility

Bristle-blasted surfaces prepared to Sa 2½ / SSPC-SP10 are accepted by major field joint coating systems, including:

• Heat-shrink polyolefin sleeves
• Liquid-applied polyurethane systems
• Epoxy-based field joint coatings
• Fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) repair systems

Coating manufacturer approvals are available for specific product combinations. MontiPower's technical team can provide approval documentation for project specification purposes.

Proven on Major Projects

MontiPower's field joint preparation solutions have been deployed on major pipeline projects in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Middle East, and Brazil. The track record of performance across these diverse environments — deep water, shallow water, Arctic, tropical — demonstrates the reliability and adaptability of the approach.

Contact MontiPower's technical team to discuss field joint preparation solutions for your specific project parameters.