CASE HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: Case History #662: Lubrication and Other Offshore Platform Layup Strategies

July 27, 2021

An offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico needed to be temporarily mothballed until the market improved enough for drilling to be worthwhile. As part of the complete rig stacking procedure, experienced preservation specialists applied EcoLine® Wire Rope Grease to miles (km) of wire rope stored on spools. Gearboxes for the winches, man riders, engines, and mud pumps were treated with one of three
Cortec® oil additives—M-529, M-530, or M-531—based on compatibility tests.

Other common layup procedures were used throughout the platform, including the application of VpCI® Emitters inside control panels and junction boxes according to volume, and the use of MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film or VpCI®-126 HP UV to wrap large assets outdoors and in more sheltered areas, respectively. Large quantities of VpCI®-130 Series Foam were also laid inside the drilling shack and living quarters
and temporary coatings were sprayed over various painted equipment and structural steel components.

In 2017, the mothballed platform took an almost direct hit from Hurricane Harvey. When the layup team returned to inspect the rig for routine product reapplication in 2019, they found that, despite the hurricane, all the MilCorr® was still in place and the preserved equipment remained in good condition.

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