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N-2036 REV. F ENGLISH 06 / 2011

Underwater Welding

Procedure

This Standard replaces and cancels its previous revision.

The CONTEC - Authoring Subcommittee provides guidance on the
interpretation of this Standard when questions arise regarding its contents. The
Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard is responsible for adopting
and applying the sections, subsections and enumerates thereof.

Technical Requirement: A provision established as the most adequate and

which shall be used strictly in accordance with this Standard. If a decision is
CONTEC taken not to follow the requirement (“non-conformity” to this Standard) it shall be
Comissão de Normalização based on well-founded economic and management reasons, and be approved
Técnica and registered by the Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard. It is
characterized by imperative nature.
Recommended Practice: A provision that may be adopted under the conditions
of this Standard, but which admits (and draws attention to) the possibility of
there being a more adequate alternative (not written in this Standard) to the
particular application. The alternative adopted shall be approved and registered
by the Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard. It is characterized
by verbs of a nonmandatory nature. It is indicated by the expression:
[Recommended Practice].
Copies of the registered “non-conformities” to this Standard that may contribute
to the improvement thereof shall be submitted to the CONTEC - Authoring
SC - 26 Subcommittee.

Welding Proposed revisions to this Standard shall be submitted to the CONTEC -

Authoring Subcommittee, indicating the alphanumeric identification and revision
of the Standard, the section, subsection and enumerate to be revised, the
proposed text, and technical/economic justification for revision. The proposals
are evaluated during the work for alteration of this Standard.

“The present Standard is the exclusive property of PETRÓLEO

BRASILEIRO S.A. - PETROBRAS, for internal use in the Company, and any
reproduction for external use or disclosure, without previous and express
authorization from the owner, will imply an unlawful act pursuant to the
relevant legislation through which the applicable responsibilities shall be
imputed. External circulation shall be regulated by a specific clause of
Secrecy and Confidentiality pursuant to the terms of intellectual and
industrial property law.”

Introduction
PETROBRAS Technical Standards are prepared by Working Groups - WG
(consisting specialized of Technical Collaborators from Company and its Subsidiaries), are
commented by Company Units and its Subsidiaries, are approved by the Authoring Subcommittees -
SCs (consisting of technicians from the same specialty, representing the various Company Units and
its Subsidiaries), and ratified by the Executive Nucleus (consisting of representatives of the Company
Units and its Subsidiaries). A PETROBRAS Technical Standard is subject to revision at any time by its
Authoring Subcommittee and shall be reviewed every 5 years to be revalidated, revised or cancelled.
PETROBRAS Technical Standards are prepared in accordance with PETROBRAS Technical
Standard N-1. For complete information about PETROBRAS Technical Standards see PETROBRAS
Technical Standards Catalog.
.
PROPERTY OF PETROBRAS 11 pages, 1 form, Index of Revisions and WG
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N-2036 REV. F ENGLISH 06 / 2011

Foreword

This Standard is the English version (issued in 09/2012) of PETROBRAS N-2036 REV. F 06/2011. In
case of doubt, the Portuguese version, which is the valid document for all intents and purposes, shall
be used.

1 Scope

1.1 This Standard rules the required conditions for Underwater Welding aiming the application in
metal structures and ducts.

1.2 This Standard applies to procedures started as from the date of its edition.

1.3 This Standard includes only Technical Requirements.

2 Normative References

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document applies.

Norma Regulamentadora no 15 (NR-15) - Anexo 6 - Trabalho sob Pressões Hiperbáricas;

PETROBRAS N-1438 - Terminologia de Soldagem;

PETROBRAS N-1792 - Inspeção Subaquática - Partícula Magnética;

AWS D 3.6M:2010 - Specification for Underwater Welding;

DNV OS F101:2010 - Submarine Pipeline Systems;

IMCA D 045 - Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Electricity Underwater.

NOTE For documents referred in this Standard and for which only the Portuguese version is
available, the PETROBRAS department that uses this Standard should be consulted for any
information required for the specific application.

3 Terms and Definitions

Terms and definitions set out in PETROBRAS N-1438 apply to this document, as well as the following.

3.1
submarine welding methods
basic submarine welding techniques are described in 3.1.1 and 3.1.2

3.1.1
welding in hyperbaric chamber
welding in an open bottom pressurized chamber where water is moved out and the diver/ welder
works in an environment where he can breath

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3.1.2
wet welding
welding carried out directly under water

3.2
sealing mixture
gas serving to exclude water, but it is not necessarily intended to protect the electric arc, may or may
not be breathable and shall not be flammable and / or explosive

3.3
weld types
Quality levels of submarine welding, checked through non-destructive tests, mechanical and
metallographic tests, specified according to properties required by the structure or the equipment
design

NOTE 1 The required weld type must be established previously according to the application intended
for the welding, such as fastening anodes, repairing structures, repairing ducts and
according to operational and safety aspects.
NOTE 2 Acceptance standards for the different welding types (A, B, and O) are set out in AWS D
3.6M:2010.
NOTE 3 Other levels of quality (welding type) related to the acceptance standards set out in other
norms can be used, after PETROBRAS approval.

3.4
welding system
All equipment, devices, tools, accessories and consumables used for welding works in accordance
with a specific procedure

4 General conditions

4.1 Base metals

The base metals included in the scope of this Standard are steels used in the construction of maritime
structures and submarine ducts.

4.2 Welding Processes

The main welding processes included in the Scope of this Standard are: coated electrode, MIG/MAG,
TIG, tubular wire, aluminothermic process and friction stir welding. Other processes can be used,
upon PETROBRAS approval.

4.3 Welding Procedure

4.3.1 Welding shall be performed in accordance with a previously qualified welding procedure, as per
AWS D 3.6M:2010.

4.3.2 The welding procedure must be qualified according to the depth, as per AWS D 3.6M:2010. For
class A wet welding, the depth of repair shall be 5 m beyond the specified depth, at a maximum.

4.3.3 When aluminothermic process is used, the welding procedure shall also meet the requirements
established by DNV OS F101:2010.

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4.4 Production Test

4.4.1 Beyond the submarine welding procedure qualification, before the beginning of the production
welding, a production test shall be performed for evidence that the submarine welding system is free
of issues where the service is to be executed.

4.4.2 The production test must be in accordance with the qualified procedure, as per AWS D
3.6M:2010.

4.5 Welding monitoring and control

During the execution of the production welding the following shall be monitored and be registered,
when applicable:

a) current;
b) voltage;
c) protection gas outflow;
d) preheating, interpass and after-heating temperatures;
e) time for pass deposition;
f) pass length;
g) atmosphere inside the hyperbaric chamber.

4.6 Qualification of Welders

Welding operations shall be performed by welders qualified according to AWS D 3.6M:2010

requirements. Other Standards can apply, at PETROBRAS discretion.

4.6.1 For wet welding, the welders’ qualification shall be valid for 3 years at a maximum, renewable
for 3 additional years after a simplified test. Within this period, in case the welder has not performed
this activity for a period of 3 months, he shall take a new production test, as per 4.4.

4.6.2 For wet welding operations, the welder shall remain qualified as long as he meets the visual test
requirements for angle welding and the radiographic test for butt weld, according to the welding type
acceptance criteria as per AWS D 3.6M:2010.

4.7 Preparation of the Welded Joint

4.7.1 The surface to be welded and the adjacent surface, in a 25 mm range from each margin of the
joint, shall be prepared for welding: there shall be no scale, pain, sea organisms or corrosion.

4.7.2 Any discontinuity in the base metal surface caused by open arc shall be eliminated by grinding.
The area shall be examined with magnetic particles, as per PETROBRAS N-1792, with checking for
the elimination of discontinuities.

4.7.3 In case a welding repair is needed to eliminate any superficial discontinuity, the procedure shall
be qualified according with 4.3.

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4.8 Temporary Welding

Any provisory welding performed to help in the assembly shall be done according to the same
production welding requirements, and its location on the structure or equipment shall be checked and
included in the repair procedure.

4.9 Security and Health of the Welder

4.9.1 The Regulatory Standard Number 15 (NR-15) - Annex VI and IMCA D 045 shall be met, aiming
the safety and health of the diver/welder.

4.9.2 The contractor shall include a specific clause regarding measures to ensure the safety and
protection of welders in its procedures.

4.10 Essential Variables

4.10.1 The Essential Variables shall be as per AWS D 3.6M:2010.

4.10.2 The sealing mixture is considered an essential variable. When the diver/welder must work in
the environment, the sealing mix shall be breathable, and in no case it shall be flammable and/or
explosive.

4.11 Acceptance Standards

Acceptance standards for the welding types A, B, and O are set out in AWS D 3.6M:2010.

5 Specific Conditions

5.1 Welding in hyperbaric chamber [Recommended Practice]

5.1.1 The welding procedure shall include the hyperbaric chamber design.

5.1.2 The hyperbaric chamber design shall meet the requirements set out in 5.1.2.1 to 5.1.2.11.

5.1.2.1 Enough inner space to allow the free movement and comfort of the welder during the welding
operation.

5.1.2.2 Easy access, to ensure the free entry and exit of divers and materials.

5.1.2.3 Fastening and sealing methods.

5.1.2.4 Port holes to allow the external monitoring of the operation.

5.1.2.5 Relief valve installed at the highest point of the chamber, to eliminate the build up of toxic and
fuel fumes produced by the welding.

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5.1.2.6 The seal gas shall present the following characteristics:

a) non-flammable;
b) breathable, causing no harm to the diver/welder health (exceptions shall be accompanied
by special safety measures);
c) minimum partial pressure of O2 = 0.16 ATA (absolute ATM);
d) percent of O2 in chamber depth (D):
— D ≥ 30 m: up to a maximum of 8 %;
— D < 30 m: up to a maximum of 21 %;
e) maximum concentration of particulate matter and liquid particular, including oil: 5 mg/m3
of gas blending in normal conditions of temperature and pressure (NCTP).

5.1.2.7 Definition of point of injection of seal gas, with entry points located at the chamber top.

5.1.2.8 Hydrodynamic form and structural adequacy of the chamber for work conditions subject to
current or tide variation.

5.1.2.9 Chamber’s neutral buoyancy to reduce additional efforts in the joint to be welded.

5.1.2.10 The water/gas contact surface shall have the least possible area to minimize evaporation.

5.1.2.11 Internal accessories arrangement to accommodate tools, consumables, heater and waste
collection.

5.1.3 The chamber assembly shall be inspected on-shore, using a mockup of the structure to be
repaired.

5.1.4 A performance inspection of the chamber after its installation at the place of work is mandatory.

5.1.5 Before the beginning of the welding job, the vibration level caused by the seal gas injection shall
be checked, so as to prevent interference with the welding metal deposition and solidification.

5.1.6 The method used for storage and transportation of welding consumables from the surface to the
chamber is an essential variable. When the transportation is done in containers, these shall meet the
requirements set forth in 5.1.6.1 to 5.1.6.3.

5.1.6.1 The container shall be designed to support an internal pressure corresponding to that of the
work site.

5.1.6.2 Pressurization shall be done at the surface, using the same seal gas, dried at a maximum
pressure of 0.5 atm above the pressure used at the repair site.

5.1.6.3 The container shall have adequate devices to prevent accidents when opened by the welder.

5.1.7 Handling of welding consumables inside the chamber shall meet the requirements set forth in
5.1.7.1 to 5.1.7.3.

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5.1.7.1 When there is no holding oven, each electrode or welding rod shall be stored in an individual
packaging to avoid direct contact of the consumable with the hyperbaric environment.

5.1.7.2 Upon removing the electrode from its packaging or oven, do not allow any direct contact of its
coating with any wet surface.

5.1.7.3 When exposed for more than 5 minutes to the hyperbaric environment or partially used,
coated electrodes shall be discarded.

5.1.8 Coated electrodes shall be basic, low hydrogen type.

5.1.9 The welding shall not be started when the metal surface in a 150 mm range from the weld
center is wet.

5.1.10 The choice of the seal gas shall consider the contamination risk of the weld metal.

5.1.11 The use of acetylene and other fuel gases is not allowed inside the chamber.

5.1.12 For welding operations in depths less than 30 m, the welding procedure shall consider fire
fighting and prevention measure inside the hyperbaric chamber.

5.1.13 The atmosphere inside the hyperbaric chamber shall be monitored in compliance with the
procedure approved by PETROBRAS

5.2 Wet Welding [Recommended Practice]

5.2.1 Procedures and welders qualification shall be performed, whenever possible, in environmental
conditions (temperature, current and visibility) corresponding to those of the work site.

5.2.2 The electrode-holder polarity shall be direct current (DC) negative, to prevent corrosion.

5.2.3 Alternating current shall not be used, since this carries the risk of electrical shock for the
diver/welder.

5.2.4 Drag welding technique shall be used, and electrode oscillation shall be avoided.

5.2.5 Handling and Transportation of Coated Electrodes

a) electrodes (in packages or not) shall be delivered inside the open packages, with enough
weight to get down in the least possible time to reduce the water absorption; electrodes
shall be lowered through the gob-line;
b) if not stored in plastic bags, the electrodes shall be lowered one by one, as demanded by
the diver;
c) when exposed directly to the water for more than 5 minutes, electrodes shall be
discarded.

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5.2.6 Welding Procedure

a) if possible, avoid over head (OH) welding, working most of the time in the flat (F) position
or vertical downward (VD) position; devices with special geometry shall be used, to
minimize the length in OH position (see Figure A.2 in Annex A);
b) Vertical upward position shall not be used;
c) the recommended angle for the electrode in relation to the part shall be between 45° and
60°;
d) a 3.25 mm diameter electrode shall be used;
e) in the event of the carbon equivalent (CE) of the base metal is above 0.35 %, use
electrodes with a diffusible hydrogen content lower than 30 ml/100 g. Alternatively, if the
diffusible hydrogen content is not known, perform a controlled thermal severity (CTS)
test, according to Figure A.1, using as an acceptance criterion the absence of flaws in 4
transverse sections, with a 50 X magnification;
f) as an alternate procedure for base metal welding with a CE superior to 0.35 %, annealing
or buttering pass techniques can be used, as long as properly qualified and with
ascertained reproducibility;
g) before starting any wet welding work, perform a diver/welder training in a 10 m depth,
comprising all welding positions and types of joints to be used during the repair.

5.2.7 Qualification of Welders

Welders qualification shall be performed as per AWS D 3.6M:2010.

5.2.8 Control Equipment and Instruments

The following control equipment and instruments shall be used, at a minimum:

a) 2 transformer or rectifier welding machines with a safety system to prevent alternating

current;
b) welding cables tested beforehand to prevent any electrical leakage;
c) welding cables with color-coded ends (torch - red; earth - green);
d) a blade switch to activate the welding circuit;
e) calibrated ammeter and voltmeter to measure the welding current and voltage. The
voltage shall be measured at the nearest point by the electrode holder;
f) a recording system for the main parameters of the welding procedure for each welding
pass, according to the form in Annex B;
g) grinding and cleaning equipment: 2 hydraulic grinders (for abrasive roughing and cutting
discs and wire brushes, all with a 4” diameter), 2 hydraulic tools with chuck for a rotary
file and mounted tip.

5.2.9 Diving Equipment & Materials

In addition to the equipment set forth in Regulatory Standard Number. 15 (NR-15), - Annex VI, the
following are mandatory:

a) communication system for communication between the diver/welder and the surface
team;
b) diving suits with heating system when low temperatures are uncomfortable for the welder,
so as to provide for a good quality welding;
c) proper lighting system on-site (underwater and on the surface);
d) decompression chamber to improve time under water in depths higher than 20 m;
e) supporting devices to ensure the stability and comfort of the welder during the welding,
specially in conditions where the current can interfere with the quality of work;
f) video equipment for image transmission and recording.

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5.2.10 Design of repair devices

The design and construction of gloves and auxiliary devices for the execution of repairs shall foresee
the issues inherent to wet welding:

a) The geometry of sleeves must maximize the welding extension in P position and
minimize the welding extension in OH position; the VD is considered an intermediary
difficulty position and, when possible, it shall be replaced by the F position. See
Figures A.2 of Annex A;
b) the sleeve welding shall start with longitudinal welds;
c) only after completing these welds the circumference stretches shall be welded;
d) position a metal spread bar in each end of longitudinal welds to prevent porosity at the
beginning and end of the weld pass, which can hinder the deposition of circumferential
welds subsequently;
e) grind the craters at the end of the weld bead before overlaying with the next pass, since
micro fractures are normally present and can be hard to detect by the welder;
f) OH welds, even when minimized, shall be welded with extreme attention, specially when
the base metal is prone to fractures due to hydrogen; beginning a new pass at the point
where another pass ends shall be avoided; passes shall overlap, thus preventing the
beginning of a pass where another ends;
g) whenever possible, tack welding shall be avoided for sleeve fastening, and to this end
clamps are preferred;
h) during the sleeve mounting attention shall be paid to the size of the opening at the root of
the longitudinal weld (this shall be under 3 mm), and this opening shall be kept as uniform
as possible along the length of the weld;
i) any porosity shall be eliminated by grinding or rotary file, and debris shall be eliminated
with the use of a rotary brush;
j) discs/files and brushes shall be mounted in independent systems, thus avoiding stopping
to change tools;
k) the steel for sleeves construction shall be selected with great care, to avoid hydrogen
fractures during the wet welding. To this end, carbon equivalent under 0.35 % and carbon
content under 0.13 % is recommended. When steel with higher contents is used, we
recommend dry buttering with basic electrodes on sleeve surfaces where wet weld will be
deposited;
l) during the welding of overlapping plates for repair, these shall be positioned in a way to
allow the welder access and minimize the pass length in OH position. See Figure A.3 of
Annex A. Gaps between surfaces shall be minimized during the assembly.

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Annex A - Figures

12

Mooring rope

76

12

24 76 24

Ø 15 mm
Test hope
pitch = 2 mm

T2

T1

NOTE Dimensions in millimeters.

Figure A.1 - CTS Weld Ability Test - T1 and T2 = Thickness of Components for Welding

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Figure A.2 - Type of Sleeve Geometry Recommended to Minimize Weld Length in OH

Position

Backing plate

NOTE Dimensions in millimeters.

Figure A.3 - Format and Positioning of Bilge Plates in Flat Surfaces

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 No.
DATA SHEET
CLIENT: SHEET
of
PROGRAM:

AREA:

TITLE:

WET WELDING

INDEX REVIEW

REV. DESCRIPTION AND / OR AFFECTED SHEET(S)

REV. 0 REV. A REV. B REV. C REV. D REV. E REV. F REV. G REV. H

DATE,
DESIGN
EXECUTION
CHECK
APPROVAL
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PETROBRAS PROPERTY AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFICALLY
INDICATED HEREIN
THIS FORM IS PART OF PETROBRAS STANDARD N-2036 REV. F ANNEX B – SHEET 01/02
 NO. REV.
DATA SHEET
SHEET
of
TITLE:

WET WELDING
DATE: LOCATI P.C.:
ON:
MATERIAL: ELECTRODE: ELEC
DIAM :
PLATE DIMENSIONS: BEVEL
CODE:
POLARITY: POSITION
:
EQUIPMENT: DEPTH:

PASS CURRENT VOLTAGE TIME PASS LENGTH WELDING SPEED HEAT APPLIC.
NOTE:
# (A) (V) (s) (mm) (mm/s) (kJ/mm)

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PETROBRAS PROPERTY AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFICALLY INDICATED
HEREIN
THIS FORM IS PART OF PETROBRAS STANDARD N-2036 REV. F ANNEX B – SHEET 02/02
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ÍNDICE DE REVISÕES

REV. A, B, C and D
There is no index of revisions.

REV. E
Affected Parts Description of Alteration

Revalidacion

REV. F
Affected Parts Description of Alteration

All Revised

IR 1/1