GREAT NEWS FROM SHELL

You may recall me speaking about a fantastic follow up report from Shell after its inspection of an Enviropeel test application by our UK distributor in the North Sea (September 2016). This report has now been incorporated by Shell into its recommendations for maintenance purposes in atmospheric conditions:

Test applications for Shell in the North Sea

1. The Enviropeel coating system is a suitable surface tolerant coating system for maintenance purposes for atmospheric exposure conditions. 
2. Minimum surface preparation is required before application of Enviropeel. It is recommended to have a minimum St 2 surface cleanliness.
3. The Enviropeel coating system can provide a reactive solution to existing corrosion problems on assets, with long-term active effects. Based on track records and long-term testing, the expected lifetime prediction for the coating system is 10 years.

Just like we have been telling you all along! 

ENVIROPEEL & ALOCIT HOLDINGS

Enviropeel Holdings, LLC took ownership of the Enviropeel brand and IP in early 2016 following investments in various aspects of the business after the owner of Enviropeel Holdings, Kenny Boehm (whose name rhymes with ‘came’ not ‘comb’) was first introduced to Enviropeel in Las Vegas in 2010. Although Kenny was there for a trade show not the gambling, he decided to make a bet on Enviropeel and his company was soon the Enviropeel license holder for all of the Americas, from Tierra del Fuego to Hudson Bay. He later formed Enviropeel Holdings to acquire all right, title and interest to the Enviropeel brand and IP in early 2016.

Kenny’s background is in engineering, his companies have designed and built caterpillar-tracked drilling rigs as well as making key components for the production lines of a variety of major industries, including Coca Cola. He knows machinery so, although he was fascinated by the unique qualities of the Enviropeel material, he was also intrigued by the possibilities of equipment development for its application.

Through Enviropeel, Kenny came to know much more about the entire corrosion industry as well as Enviropeel’s sister product, Alocit. It might not surprise you to learn that, when he heard about a paint that could be applied underwater, he thought that was a good idea too, and took a majority stake in Alocit International, the company that makes it.

The only problem with Alocit, for Kenny, is that it doesn’t use specialist application equipment that he can redesign … but you can bet he is working on it!

RELEASING THE PAUSE BUTTON

In previous blogs we have talked about changes in ownership, the transfer of the Enviropeel IP to Enviropeel Holdings LLC in America and other corporate wheelings and dealings, without explaining what this means for the most important people in our business … our customers.

In the short term, it has meant a few changes in personnel, including a move for me from working with A&E in the UK to working directly for the new owner in the US. For the Blog it has meant a rather quiet period while we assimilate all the changes and, for Enviropeel, it has brought big investments in a new range of equipment and a streamlined supply chain that should greatly increase availability of material and equipment.

So, for the customer, it is great news.

The new range of application units is more affordable, lighter and easier to move around but with all the capacity and reliability of the superseded CA series. Even better, with major components designed and purpose built by Enviropeel in the US, the new units heat up faster and are far simpler to operate and maintain.

THE MA10

The new MA Series comprises:

The MA10 – a light-weight, one-man unit that can easily be loaded into the back of a pick-up yet with the capacity to perform a wide range of tasks. This unit can be supplied with its own built-in compressor for full operational independence. Unit capacity 10Kg/22llbs. Click to see video of this unit in operation.

The MA25 – a full capacity unit capable of the most demanding tasks. Lighter than the CA18 and easier to manoeuvre yet with almost the same capacity as a CA30, the MA25 is the new Enviropeel workhorse, ready for anything. Unit capacity 25kg/55llbs.

The MA25 Zone 2 unit – similar to the MA25, this unit is DNV certified for use in hazardous areas with explosion-proof electrics for use in areas where gas is present in the atmosphere. Unit capacity 25kg/55llbs.

For more information on MA Series equipment, please contact Ivan Hess at EUSA.

Left: The MA25 is compact, reliable and easy to use.

LOST PHOTO DISCOVERED OF 19TH CENTURY ALOCIT POLAR EXPEDITION

Okay, so it wasn't the nineteenth century or the North Pole, but it was pretty cold. And, I suppose I should point out, Ivan doesn't really smoke a pipe or wear a knitted beanie ... maybe he should because it's an interesting look.

The reason Ivan was out in the cold was that Technip FMC and their client, Husky Energy, were looking for a coating to apply on their FPSO, Sea Rose. They organised a trial of three short-listed coatings - one of which was Alocit. Ivan travelled up to Newfoundland to oversee the subsea application of Alocit in waters below 5°C. Alocit USA supplied a custom-built pumping system for the trial and, despite the distance between the pumping station and the diver, were the clear winners of the trial, significantly outperforming the rival coatings. The system allowed continuous delivery of Alocit to the diver from the FPSO deck to the application site, more than 50 metres away.

The pics below show the diver applying Alocit and the frozen splendour of the area around the work site.

IF ONLY BOTTICELLI HAD KNOWN ABOUT ENVIROPEEL ...

He would definitely have come to our party last week ...

Thank you to everybody who came to see us at the WA Club in Perth last Tuesday, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did and, for those who were unable to attend, we hope to see you next time - you missed a good night. Particularly happy was Tony Lutzu of Orontide, who won the prize draw and went home with a case of great Western Australian wine.
Special thanks to Jerry Fraser for his awesome oyster virtuosity and to Dr Peter Farinha of Extrin and Vas Dziombak of Orontide for their insight and the time they spent with us, nourishment for the mind as well as the body.

The evening was organised to raise awareness about thermoplastics and how their use has allowed new approaches to corrosion control ... and, of course, to have an enjoyable evening in the wonderful setting of Perth's Western Australia Club, overlooking a glorious Swan river sunset.

Not a great shellfish lover myself, I had not experienced oyster shucking, especially not as performance art! For most people though, the oysters were a welcome treat, as were the drinks and the opportunity to share some time and stories with like-minded people. The presentations were entertaining and informative, Peter and Vas shared their experiences from a technical and long-term user perspective ... and I was able to sum up some of the Enviropeel story for those who were unfamiliar with the technology.

All-in-all, it was a great evening.

For those of you who are interested, the presentation can be viewed on the following link: Thermoplastic Presentations.

MORE FROM AOG 2017

'The Magic Underwater Coating' 

They say that familiarity breeds contempt and it is certainly true that we all can sometimes take for granted those things which are always around us, not noticing how amazing they might be just because they are just part of our every day life. So, it was with some surprise that we watched the astonished reaction of attendees at AOG to the Alocit underwater application demonstration on our stand. As Chris Harrey, Australian manager for A&E, reported:

... the underwater coating demonstration went down a storm! No one had ever seen such a thing and watched in amazement. People would come back and bring other people to show them the 'magic underwater coating' ...

Obviously, we need to do more to ensure that everybody takes us for granted. No point in keeping all that amazingness to ourselves! Click on this link: AOG Underwater, if you would like to see a 'live' application.


As well as this bit of unexpected excitement, the show went really well. Very high quality visitors, lots of interested attendees. A really worthwhile exercise ... particularly for Jeff Fraser of E&M Industries who went home with a case of wine courtesy of A&E - and Tracey Winn of the Australian Corrosion Association who graciously agreed to draw the winning card.

and now, with a bit more hair ...

Transatlantic co-operation

Talking of Haycoxs and Riser Clamps, here is a group of miscreants off the west coast of Africa who look a lot happier than they probably are. On the left are Josh Haycox and Ivan Hess who were in the Republic of Congo Brazzaville on a mission to assist with training and application using Enviropeel on riser clamps for Total.

Ivan is Technical Manager for Enviropeel USA, based in Indianapolis where he works closely with EUSA President, Kenny Boehm on product and business development for the whole of the Americas. A regular visitor to Chile and Peru, this was Ivan's first trip to Africa.

Josh, who represents a third generation of the Haycox family working to save the world from corrosion, was sent out from the UK to meet up with Ivan in Pointe-Noire. They travelled offshore to the Total platform for Actemium Oil and Gas where they successfully completed the project using Enviropeel equipment supplied by Corrosion Coating Systems of Louisiana.

The second photo shows the platform from the air, although Ivan and Josh travelled the 40 or so miles to the platform by sea in a 'Surfer', a relatively small service vessel used to supply oil and gas installations in the area.

Like father, like son?

Not so much ...

CEO, Arthur Haycox and his son, Technical Director of A&E Simon Haycox, do have a lot in common but it may not be obvious from the photograph. Taken at this year's AOG in Perth, the photo shows them relaxing after a day of presenting to attendees at the exhibition, one of the relatively few arenas where their complementary skills are best displayed together.

Arthur is a businessman and entrepreneur who has a perverse pride in owning a paint company but never using a paint brush, whereas Simon would not only use the brush but redesign it to make sure it gave optimum performance.

Simon was in Perth to work on developments at the Perth office but, as the designer and engineer behind the development of the riser clamp protection system, it seemed like a good idea to have him on the stand to answer questions. His long history with Alocit was also a useful asset as the water tank featured in the photo became a focus of attention for newcomers to Alocit's amazing underwater capabilities. Simon was also involved with the original design for the Enviropeel application units back in the 1990s so, between the two of them, they know all there is to know about the A&E business.