Engineering Standard

SAES-H-201 31 March 2020

General Specifications for External and Internal Coatings of Pipeline Field
Girth Welds
Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

Contents

Summary of Changes .............................................. 2

1. Scope ................................................................. 3
2. Conflicts and Deviations ..................................... 3
3. References ......................................................... 3
4. Terminology........................................................ 4
5. Health, Safety, and Environment ........................ 5
6. Material Storage and Handling ........................... 5
7. Design ................................................................ 7
8. Application and Installation ................................. 7
9. Inspection Methods and Acceptance Criteria ... 11
Document History .................................................. 15

Previous Revision: 31 May 2018 Next Revision: 31 March 2025

Contact: SAGOURHS Page 1 of 15
©Saudi Aramco 2020. All rights reserved.

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds

Summary of Changes

Change Type
(Addition,
Paragraph Modification,
Technical Change(s)
Deletion)

1 Title Removed the word “FBE” to include other types of coatings

Modification
Deviations and conflict to be addressed to EK&RD rather than to
2 2 Modification
CSD manager
Added: SAES-H-002V, SAES-H-102, SAES-H-200, SAES-W-012,
3 3 Addition 09-SAMSS-113, 09-SAMSS-067, SSPC-SP5, SABP-H-004,
NACE SP 0188
4 3 Deletion Removed: ISO 8501-1, ISO 21809-3, ASTM D4417
Added materials handling and storage requirements for liquid
5 6 Addition
coatings

6 7.5 Addition Added requirements related to new technologies

Added reference to the welding standard to ensure better quality

7 7.6 Addition
of welds for coating application to be feasible.
Mandating removal of blasting bungs, as a lesson learned from
8 8.2.7 Addition
previous projects.
9 8 Addition Added requirements for liquid coatings
Modification of DFT requirements to be in line with other coating
10 Table 5 Modification
standards
11 9 Addition Added testing requirements for liquid coatings
12 Table 6 Modification Changed pass criteria to be in line with other coating standards
Added a table indicating the acceptable number of holidays per
13 Table 7 Addition
joint

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds

1. Scope

This standard covers minimum mandatory requirements governing the application and
installation of pipelines field girth welds external and internal coatings. Responsibility
of the involved contractors in this service are addressed.
2. Conflicts and Deviations

Any conflicts between this document and other applicable Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements (MSAERs) shall be addressed to the EK&RD Coordinator.
Any deviation from the requirements herein shall follow internal company procedure
SAEP-302.
3. References

All referenced specifications, standards, codes, forms, drawings, and similar material
shall be of the latest issue (including all revisions, addenda and supplements) unless
otherwise stated.
3.1 Saudi Aramco References
Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure
SAEP-302 Waiver of a Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering
Requirements
Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards
SAES-H-001 Coating Selection and Application Requirements for
Industrial Plants and Equipment
SAES-H-002 Internal and External Coatings for Steel Pipelines and
Piping
SAES-H-002V Approved Saudi Aramco Data Sheets for Pipeline and
Piping Coatings
SAES-H-102 Safety Requirements for Coating Applications
SAES-H-200 Storage, Handling, and Installation of Externally Coated
Pipe
SAES-W-012 Welding Requirements for Pipelines

Saudi Aramco Materials System Specifications

09-SAMSS-089 Qualification Requirements for Shop-Applied External
Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating for Steel Line Pipes
09-SAMSS-091 Qualification Requirements for Shop-Applied Internal
FBE Coatings
09-SAMSS-113 The Requirements of External Liquid Coatings for Buried
Pipelines and Piping (APCS-113A)

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds
09-SAMSS-067 Qualification Requirements for Coating Systems Used in
Immersion Services
3.2 Industry Codes and Standards
The Society for Protective Coatings
SSPC-PA2 Procedure for Determining Conformance to Dry Coating
Thickness Requirements
SSPC-SP1 Solvent Cleaning
SSPC-SP 5 White Metal Blast Cleaning
SSPC-SP 10 Near-White Blast Cleaning
International Organization of Standardization
ISO 8501-3 Preparation Grades of Welds, Edges, and other Areas with
Surface Imperfections
ISO 8502-3 Assessment of Dust on Steel Surface Prepared for
Painting
ISO 8502-6 Extraction of Soluble Contaminants for Analysis -The
Bresle Method
ISO 8502-9 Field Method for the Conductometric Determination of
Water-soluble Salts
American Society for Testing and Materials
ASTM D6677 Standard Test Method for Evaluating Adhesion by Knife
National Association of Corrosion Engineers
NACE SP 0490 Holiday Detection of Fusion Bonded Epoxy External
Pipeline Coatings of 250~760 μm
NACE SP 0188 Discontinuity (Holiday) Testing of New Protective
Coatings on Conductive Substrates
Canadian Standard Association
CSA Z245.20 Plant Applied External Coating for Steel Pipe
4. Terminology

4.1 Acronyms

DFT: Dry film thickness

FBE: Fusion bond epoxy coating
PPT: Pre-Production Trial
PWHT: Post Weld Heating Treatment
4.2 Definitions

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds
Approved Product: A coating material that meets the requirements of the applicable
APCS or SAMSS. Only approved products are allowed for use in Saudi Aramco. These
requirements apply to all standards under SAES-H-series.
Batch: Quantity of material produced in a continuous manufacturing operation using
raw materials of the same source and grade.
Buyer's Representative: The person or persons designated by the Purchasing
Department to monitor / enforce the contract. Normally, this is the on-site inspector.
Cutback: Length of pipe left uncoated at each end for joining purpose.
Contractor: Construction and/or Welding contractor
Field Joint Area: Weld zone uncoated area that results when two pipe sections or a
pipe section and a fitting with coating cutbacks are assembled, by welding, in the field.
Holiday: Coating discontinuity that exhibits electrical conductivity when exposed to a
specific voltage.
Manufacturer: Company which manufactures coatings and corresponding repair
materials.
Overlap: Length of the field joint coating over the shop-applied coating including the
coating bevel.
Pre-Production Trial (PPT): Conducting a field trial prior to start of the actual
production for the surface preparation, coating application and inspection to confirm
meeting the requirement of the approved coating application procedure.
Post Weld Heating Treatment: A heating method for reducing and redistributing the
residual stresses in the material that have been introduced by welding.
Vendor: Girth weld coating applicator
Working shift: The maximum working shift shall be 12hrs.

5. Health, Safety, and Environment

Applicable safety requirements addressed in Section 5 of SAES-H-001 and safety data

sheet of the coating product and equipment shall be followed.
6. Material Storage and Handling
6.1 Pipes shall be stored and handled in strict adherence with the requirements in SAES-H-
200
6.2 Coating material shall be stored and handled in accordance with the Manufacturer's
recommendations.
6.3 Powder shall be transported and stored in sealed container that prevent the ingress of
moisture or water.
6.4 Powder shall be kept dry at all times and not exposed to direct sunlight or used within
15 m of any source of ignition.

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds
6.5 Transportation and storage climate shall be controlled to meet the manufacturer’s
requirements and conformance shall be demonstrated by temperature-indication tags or
other logging devices.
6.6 Vendor shall load only enough materials to be used in the same day.
Opened, unused powder shall not be used. Similarly, liquid coatings shall be used
within their pot life time, and excess/unused quantities discarded.
6.7 The Vendor shall use only Saudi Aramco approved products.
6.8 Packaging and labeling requirements for liquid and paste coatings and related solvents
and curing agents shall be in strict accordance with 09-SAMSS-060.
6.9 Powder/liquid coating materials supplied to the Vendor shall be certified by
Manufacturer with the following information, which must meet initially approved
material:
a) The Manufacturer's name
b) Product description
c) Mass or density of material
d) The material identification number
e) The batch number
f) Date of manufacture
g) Location of manufacturing
h) Temperature required for transportation and storage
i) The shelf life (or expiration date)
j) Material identification fingerprints
6.10 Each batch of FBE coating shall be tested and certified by the Manufacturer in
accordance with the requirement of Table 1. Vendor shall conduct the same tests to
verify compliance with the requirements.
Table 1 - Epoxy Powder Properties
Property Acceptance Criteria Test Method
CSA Z245.20
Density Meets Manufacturer specification
Clause 12.6
3.0% maximum retained on 150 μm mesh and CSA Z245.20
Particle Size
0.2% maximum retained on 250 μm mesh. Clause 12.5
CSA Z245.20
Gel Time Meets Manufacturer specification
Clause 12.2
CSA Z245.20
Cure Time Meets Manufacturer specification
Clause 12.1
CSA Z245.20
Moisture Content 0.5% maximum
Clause 12.3
Thermal Meets Manufacturer specification for Tg1 (°C), CSA Z245.20
Characteristics Tg2 (°C), ΔH (J/g) Clause 12.7

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds

6.11 Liquid coating manufacturer's batch certificate shall be checked and kept as part of
materials quality control.
6.12 Expired coating materials shall not be used.
6.13 Abrasive blasting materials shall be stored in a dry and controlled environment.
6.14 Health and safety requirements shall be in accordance with Saudi Aramco requirements
stated in SAES-H-102 and Manufacturer's instructions.
7. Design
7.1 Use only approved coating products for external and internal coating of girth welds, in
accordance with SAES-H-002V.
7.2 Girth weld coating application shall be performed only by vendors qualified by CSD.
7.3 Automated or semi-automated application processes shall be used for the application of
FBE external coating.
7.4 Robotic system shall be used for the inspection, surface preparation and coating
application of internal girth weld.
7.5 Robotic crawlers shall be equiped with a profiling technology to measure the
dimensions of weld protrusion, and a repair technique to remotely grind high
protrusions down. If not available, uncoatable welds shall be cut, re-blasted, re-welded
and re-coated. It is the responsibility of vendor and Saudi Aramco inspection to declare
any weld uncoatable.
7.6 Welding of internally coated pipes shall be in strict accordance with SAES-W-012 para.
7.6.
7.7 Coated pipes shall be maintained clean, by installation of well-sealed end covers to
avoid dust, moisture ingress and other contaminants during storage, transportation and
installation. If pipes are found contaminated prior to installation, they shall be cleaned
well using approperiate cleaning methods such as air blowing, vacuuming, or cleaning
by sponge wetted in approved sovlents.
7.8 External and Internal girth weld liquid coating shall meet the requirements of the
applicable APCS and SAMSS.
8. Application and Installation

8.1 General
8.1.1 Application of girth weld coatings shall be strictly in accordance with the
approved Vendor’s application procedure. Coating materials and method of
application and equipment to be used shall be specified in this procedure.
8.1.2 For welds that require post weld heat treatment (PWHT), coatings on both
Internal and External welds shall be applied after PWHT. Demonstration shall
be conducted prior to actual work to determine the required internal and external
cutback after the completion of PWHT. If the cutback is exceeding 280 mm,
only approved liquid coating can be used for the internal girth weld.

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds
8.1.3 Before welding, the cut back of internal pipe shall be blast cleaned and the
overlap area on shop-applied coating must be feathered. After blasting, no
further mechanical work is allowed, which could affect the quality of the
prepared surface, except for remotely grinding high weld profiles.
8.1.4 The maximum length of the coating field application is limited by the total
length of the cutback, 50-75 millimeters (2-3 inches), plus a reasonable overlap,
1-2 inches, to tie in with the parent FBE coating. In the case of PWHT,
demonstration shall be conducted to determine the required length.
8.1.5 Internal cleaning and coating application of line pipes with diameter of 8” and
above shall be commenced by the fully remote controlled crawling machine
fitted with at least 2 cameras to monitor the work.
8.1.6 A PPT shall be conducted at the start of each shift to verify the correct
functioning of the used equipment. The PPT shall be conducted on a spool
similar to the pipes to be coated. The following tests in tables 2 and 3 shall be
conducted by the Vendor and the results shall be shared with Saudi Aramco
inspector.
Table 2 - PPT On-Site Required Tests
Acceptance
Test Test Method Frequency
Criteria
DFT Table 5 SSPC-PA2 All
Holiday Detection No holiday Para. 9.3 All
Cure Test (MEK) No softening Para. 9.2.3 All
Adhesion Test Pass ASTM D6677 All

Table 3 - PPT Required Lab Tests

Acceptance
Test Test Method Frequency
Criteria
Hot-water soak
NACE SP0394-2013, Once out of
Hot-water adhesion: Rating of 1 ̶ 2
(Appendix J) twenty PPT
(24 hours) 75 ± 3°C
Cathodic Disbondment
CSA Z245.20, Once out of
24 hours 10 mm
Clause 12.8 twenty PPT
@ 65°C, -3.5V
CSA Z245.20, Once out of
Cross-section Porosity Rating of 1 ̶ 3
Clause 12.10.3 twenty PPT
ΔTg = +/-3°C, CSA Z245.20, Once out of
Thermal Characteristics
95% conversion Clause 12.7.3.2.2 twenty PPT

8.2 Surface Preparation

8.2.1 Prior to blast cleaning, all hydrocarbon contaminants within a 500 mm wide
band centered over the weld shall be removed from the pipe by solvent cleaning
per SSPC SP-1. Kerosene, diesel, or similar degreasers that leave an oily film
shall not be used. For internal girth weld, it should be done by the Contractor,
unless otherwise specified in the scope of work. The responsibilities of

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
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Contractor and Vendor for internal girth weld coating are summarized in Table
4.
8.2.2 All weld joints including adjacent areas to be coated either Internally or
Externally shall be ground smooth and free from burrs, weld spatter, sharp
edges. Weld toes shall be merged smoothly and rounded with no sharp
undercuts. The weld cap or internal root protrusion shall not be more than 1.5
mm. Still, weld curve shall be smooth enough for coating application regardless
of protrusion eight. Increasing coating thickness shall not be used to overcome
such defects.
8.2.3 The bare metal joint shall be abrasive blasted by the contractor to near white
metal cleanliness, Sa 2½, for external and to white metal cleanliness, Sa 3, for
internal.
8.2.4 The surface profile shall be measured by a stylus profilometer. Rz shall be in the
range of 50 to 100 micrometers.
8.2.5 Surface preparation shall be done by the Contractor, unless otherwise specified
in the scope of work. Pipe bung shall be used to protect shop- applied pipe
coating.
8.2.6 The gloss shall be feathered out from the shop-applied FBE pipe coating that
will be overlapped by the field coating by light abrasive (sweep) blasting or
sanding. Wire brushes shall not be used for this purpose.
8.2.7 Pre-clean the pipe internal coating cutback prior to welding while using an
internal pipe bung to prevent ingress of contaminants.
8.2.8 Blasting abrasives shall comply with paragraphs 6.3 and 8.2 requirements of
SAES-H-001 and shall contain less than 50 ppm chlorides and sulfates. They
shall be stored in dry conditions and maintained dry during use. Sand shall not
be used as an abrasive. The Vendor shall furnish chemical analyses for all
batches of abrasives used to demonstrate compliance with these requirements.
8.2.9 The first blasted girth weld in each shift shall be tested for dust contamination.
Dust grade shall not exceed Rating 2 in accordance with ISO 8502-3. Test one
out of each successive 20 girth weld areas.
8.2.10 The first blasted girth weld in each shift shall be tested for chlorides. Residual
chloride on the surface shall not exceed 20 mg/m² in accordance with ISO 8502-
6. Test one out of each successive 20 girth weld areas.
8.2.11 In the event of a failure, re-test the piece. If it fails, test all pieces that were blast
cleaned both before and after the contaminated girth welds until five in a row
pass the test. All girth welds coated after the last good test shall be re-blasted,
re-tested, and re-coated.

8.3 Coating Application Procedures

8.3.1 Coating application shall be performed after completion of welding and NDT of

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field welding, and before formation of adherent rust, which may require to cut
the joint and reblast.
8.3.2 As soon as surface preparation is completed, the area to be coated shall be
cleaned of any deleterious matters by blowing with clean, dry, oil-free
compressed air. Other approved cleaning methods can be used if needed.
8.3.3 During periods of bad weather (rain, high winds, etc.) cleaning and coating
operations will only proceed if protective canopies are used to the satisfaction of
the Saudi Aramco Inspector.
8.3.4 For FBE applications, the Vendor shall follow the below requirements:
8.3.4.1 Preheating shall be accomplished by using induction heating coils
only.
8.3.4.2 The area to be coated shall then be immediately heated to a
temperature in accordance with the Powder Manufacturer's
recommendation using induction heating coil.
Note: Temperatures in excess of the Manufacturer's recommended maximum
can damage the adjacent internal and external coating. Also, temperatures
less than the Manufacturer’s recommended minimum may not provide
enough heat to cure FBE.
8.3.4.3 Preheating temperatures shall be measured with contact pyrometers.
Temperature crayons shall not be used.
8.3.4.4 As soon as the correct metal temperature has been reached, the
induction coil shall be removed from the welded joint area and the
powder application equipment placed in position. Powder application
shall start immediately. Coating shall be applied before the surface
temperature drops below the specified application temperature in the
manufacturer’s datasheet.
8.3.5 For liquid and viscoelastic coatings, the Vendor shall follow the below
requirements:
8.3.5.1 Apply liquid and viscoelastic coatings in strict accordance to the
instructions of the approved coating manufacturer’s data sheets, listed
in SAES-H-002V.
8.3.5.2 Postcure heat treatment is not allowed unless it was approved in the
initial qualification of the coating product.
8.3.5.3 The machine shall apply the specified coating to a uniform rate, to a
correct width centered on the girth weld, to the coating thickness
specified Table 5, in the least number of passes possible.
8.3.5.4 Care shall be taken to prevent the spray head, braces or hoses, etc.,
from dragging on the ground during application operations. Dirt or

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 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds
deleterious materials shall not contaminate the powder coated area
during the application and curing stages.
8.3.5.5 For above ground external girth weld, the DFT of the liquid coating to
be applied shall be in accordance with the applicable APCS
specification.
Table 4 - Responsibilities of Contractor and Vendor for Internal Coating
Application Process
Party Responsibility and Activity

 Remove hydrocarbon and other contaminants

 Surface preparation to achieve required anchor profile and
cleanliness level
Contractor
 inspect welds and ensure they meet coating requirements
 Repair weld defects, if any
 Provide pup pieces for testing
 Surface preparation and inspection, after welding
Vendor  Coating application and inspection
 Repair coating defects

Table 5 - DFT Requirement of Girth Weld (Internal and External)

Internal DFT Range (μm) External DFT Range (μm)

APCS-102A 375-625 APCS-104A 350-525

APCS-102B 500-750 APCS-104B 575-750
APCS-102C 500-750 APCS-104C As per CMR(1)
APCS-120 500 – 1000 APCS-113A(2) 600 - 1000
(1)
CMR (Coating Manufacturer’s Recommendation)
(2)
DFT does not apply to APCS-113C, which is a non-curing (Visco-elastic) Mastic-
based Coating System with a Backing Tape for Renovation of Buried Pipelines

9. Inspection Methods and Acceptance Criteria

9.1 General
This section gives the mandatory inspection methods and acceptance criteria that shall be
met before the FBE or liquid coated welds can be put into service. The inspection
requirements are summarized in Table 6.
Inspection requirements for viscoelastic coatings shall be in accordance with SAES-H-
002V.
9.2 Visual Inspection
9.2.1 The Inspector shall verify that the surface preparation requirements of paragraph
8.2 are met prior to the commencement of preheating.

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9.2.2 Thickness checks shall be made on each coated weld joint using an approved,
correctly calibrated dry film thickness gauge (e.g., Microtest, Elcometer or
equivalent). The instrument shall be calibrated in accordance with SSPC-PA2.
9.2.3 A minimum number of 8 readings shall be taken on each field joint coating, 4
readings in each side, to verify compliance with the thickness requirement in
Table 5.
9.2.4 For external and accessible internal girth weld coating, the quality of cure shall
be checked on the first 5 joints of the job and every 20 joints thereafter, by
maintaining a MEK soaked pad in contact with the coating surface for one
minute and then rubbing vigorously for 15 seconds. There shall be no softening
of the coating or substantial color removal from the coating. For un-accessible
internal girth weld coating, conduct the cure test as specified in paragraph 8.1.6.
9.2.5 The finished coating shall have a uniform, glossy appearance and be free of
defects such as holidays, fish eyes, lumps, dry spray, sags and runs. Coating
overlap shall be within the thickness specified in 09-SAMSS-089 for external
and 09-SAMSS-091 for internal. DFT for liquid girth weld coatings shall be in
accordance with the applicable APCS specification.
9.2.6 Cameras fitted on the crawling machine shall be used during the inspection of
internally coated pipeline with diameters from 8" and above.

9.3 Holiday Detection

9.3.1 100% of the coated girth weld surface area shall be holiday detected, inspected,
and repaired in accordance with the procedures and equipment specified in 09-
SAMSS-089 or 09-SAMMS-113A for external and 09-SAMSS-091 or 09-
SAMSS-120 for internal. Holiday detection shall not be conducted if the
surface temperature of the coated girth weld area exceeds 80°C. Holiday
detection criteria shall be in accordance with NACE SP 0490 for FBE or NACE
SP 0188 for other coatings.
9.3.2 All holidays, imperfections, and damaged areas shall be carefully identified with
a waterproof marker. All markings shall be sufficiently distant from the area to
be repaired to allow surface preparation and coating application without being a
detriment to the adhesion of the repair coating. This procedure is applicable for
external coating and/or accessible internal coating.

9.4 Destructive Testing

9.4.1 Using a sharp knife with a narrow width blade, make two, approximately 13-mm
long incisions through to the metal substrate to form an X in accordance with
ASTM D6677.
9.4.2 Starting at the intersection of the X, attempt to force the coating from the steel
substrate with the knife point. Refusal of the coating to peel constitutes a pass.
Partial or complete adhesion failure between the coating and the metal substrate

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constitutes a failure. Cohesive failure caused by voids in the coating leaving a
honeycomb structure on the specimen surface also constitutes failure.
9.4.3 This test shall be performed once every hour on external coatings. When three
consecutive tests are successful, the frequency shall be reduced to once every
two hours.
9.4.4 If coating fails to meet the acceptance criteria in paragraph 9.4.2, the adjacent
field girth weld areas shall also be tested until acceptable coatings are found on
both sides of the defective coating. The defective coatings shall all be
completely removed and the areas recoated. At least one of the repaired areas
shall be re-inspected, and the subsequent inspection frequency shall be as given
in paragraph 9.4.3.
Table 6 - Test Items for Internal/External Girth Weld Coating
Stage Item Acceptance Criteria Frequency
Surface No contamination
All
Contamination (including hydro carbon)
First girth weld each
Residual Salt, per
Before Less than 20 mg/m² joint, then one of each
ISO 8502-9
Welding successive 20 girth weld
Sa 3 (for internal)
Cleanliness Level All
Sa 2.5 (for external)
Anchor Profile 50-100 μm All

After Welding Condition No defect(1) All

Welding Cleaning No contamination All
Visual Inspection No defect All
DFT See Table 5 All
After
Coating Holiday No holiday All
Application
Adhesion Para. 9.4.2 Para. 9.4.3
Curing No softening Para. 9.2.3
(1) No weld defect as per ISO 8501-3 P3 Grade (Table 1. Imperfections and Preparation Grade).

9.5 Repairs
9.5.1 General
9.5.2 Defects/holidays shall be repaired in accordance with the criteria and methods
below. If the number of holidays is more than specified in Table 7, coating
repair is not acceptable and it shall be completely blasted off and the area shall
be recoated at no cost to Saudi Aramco. Root cause analysis shall be carried out
by the Vendor to determine the cause of defects and eliminate it in consequent
welds.

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Table 7. Number of Acceptable Holidays per Joint for repair

Coating Pipe Diameter Acceptable No. of Holidays
Internal All 3
< 508 mm (20”) 3
External
> 508 mm (20”) 5

9.5.3 Preparation of Surface

9.5.4 The pipe surface to be recoated shall be cleaned to remove all dirt and damaged
or disbonded coating using abrasive blasting or other approved and suitable
means. The edges of the original coatings shall be “feathered out”
approximately 50 mm around the specific area to be coated, and all dust wiped
off before applying the patch coating.
9.5.5 To repair holidays in un-accessible internal girth weld FBE coatings, use the
cleaning machine to lightly abrade the existing girth weld coating for band width
of 200 mm (8 inches) to create enough roughness, 1.0 mil, for the adhesion of
FBE powder coating. The coating shall be inspected for holidays and thickness.
If a holiday is detected, the field joint should be cut out to determine the cause.
Cold cutting method shall be used to prevent damaging the internal pipe coating.
Flame cutting is not allowed.
9.5.6 To repair holidays in an accessible internal or external girth weld coating, two
part epoxy should be used in accordance with the coating manufacturer’s
requirement. The surface should be prepared as specified in 9.5.2.
9.5.7 All repairs shall be holiday tested.

9.6 Vendor Responsibilities

The vendor shall be responsible for all quality control processes including visual
inspection, surface cleanliness and profile checking, thickness measurements, and holiday
testing. The vendor shall keep daily records of the work progress and results of all
inspection activities in a form suitable to the Saudi Aramco Inspector surveillance and
approval.

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Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

 Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee SAES-H-201
Publish Date: 31 March 2020 General Specifications for External and Internal
Next Revision: 31 March 2025 FBE Coatings of Pipeline Field Girth Welds

Document History
31 March 2020 Major revision to add liquid and viscoelastic coatings, reference other
Saudi Aramco standards, considering enhancements in robotic crawlers,
change acceptance criteria in PPT tests and implement lessons learnt
from previous projects in addition to editorial changes.
31 May 2018 Editorial revision to modify paragraph (4), (8.1.1), and (8.1.4)
7 February 2017 Major revision to clarify some of the requirements, summarize required
tests in tables, specify coating thickness for each system, revise
acceptance criteria, highlight safety requirements, clarify tasks of
involved vendors, and add new tests.
16 November 2011 Editorial revision to remove the committee members list and change the
primary contact. Revised the "Next Planned Update."

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Saudi Aramco: Company General Use