Overview
EN ISO 12736-2:2023 (adopted by CEN) is Part 2 of the ISO 12736 series for wet thermal insulation systems for pipelines and subsea equipment in the oil and gas industries, including lower carbon energy. This 2023 edition defines qualification processes for production and application procedures, replacing the 2014 version. It sets out how to qualify materials, production methods and application operations so wet thermal insulation systems meet project and safety requirements.
Key topics and requirements
- Project-specific qualification processes: requirements for defining and validating production and application procedures (see Clause 7).
- Material classes: introduction of material classification to guide selection and testing.
- Production qualification and trials: procedure qualification trials, pre-production trials and production testing (Clause 7.3).
- Application procedures and operator qualification: specification of application procedures, inspection and test plans (ITP), and operator competency requirements (Clause 7.4).
- Testing and inspection: material tests, system tests, factory inspection, traceability and guidance for creating ITPs (Clause 8).
- Factory repair and damage assessment: criteria for repair, defect characterisation and required testing (Clause 9).
- Final documentation, handling, storage and transportation: documentation and site logistics controls (Clauses 10–11).
- Thermal performance: detailed thermal conductivity (k‑value) testing requirements and project-specific functional tests (Annex D - normative).
- Supporting annexes: informative guidance for using the standard and designing wet thermal insulation systems (Annex A, B), a fatigue test (Annex C), plus normative material-content testing (Annex E).
Practical applications and users
This standard is intended for stakeholders involved in subsea and pipeline insulation projects who need to demonstrate repeatable, auditable qualification of insulation production and application:
- EPC contractors and project engineers specifying insulation systems and acceptance criteria.
- Coating yards and fabricators performing production qualification trials and factory testing.
- Inspection and testing bodies / third-party verifiers preparing or reviewing ITPs and conformity evidence.
- Operators and asset owners requiring documented qualification and traceability for subsea thermal protection.
- Procurement and quality assurance teams embedding contract requirements and purchase order information per the standard.
Related standards
Keywords: wet thermal insulation systems, pipelines, subsea equipment, qualification processes, ISO 12736-2:2023, production qualification, application procedures, thermal conductivity, inspection and test plan (ITP).