In many areas of the world, marine life such as barnacles, mussels and algae don't accumulate much more than a few inches. The waters off the coast of California, however, are a different story. There (and anyplace where waters are relatively cold and hold more nutrients), biofouling can build up to as much as three-feet…

A metal tube and metal pipe seem like they might refer to the same thing to some folks, but in the oil and gas industry, we know better.In a nutshell, tubing is usually more of a structural element than pipe, which is, more often, used to transport liquids. With tubing, wall thickness (measured by outside…

With drilling operations digging deeper wells in 2017, high-temperature, high-pressure environments call for materials suitable for the job. This includes pipeline coatings that perform well in these difficult settings. In the 1960s, steel pipes coated "in the field” with asphalt and coal tar-based wraps gave way to FBE (fusion-bonded epoxy) systems. FBE continues to be…

Hundreds of years ago, marine life (including algae, barnacles, and mussels) created headaches for shipbuilders, sailors and anyone else who worked at sea. Some things never change. In 2017, these pesky ocean-bound critters are the bane of offshore oil and gas operators and drilling platform operations. In fact, governments and industry spend more than $5.7…

It takes huge investments of capital and effort to keep offshore oil and gas fields running. Much of this investment goes to protecting the infrastructure that makes production possible. Indeed, offshore oil and gas producers in the Gulf and around the world need corrosion protection for their marine structures. Corrosion is a serious issue for…

Industrial custom molded rubber and polyurethane rollers from Mark Tool Co., Inc. have a wide variety of applications in the production of paper, steel, food, textiles, wood, and plastic. These rollers protect, squeeze, feed, insulate and move products, and there’s a different size required for every job. Depending on the task at hand, the right roller for…

For offshore applications and industrial use that calls for superior corrosion protection, long life, and resistance to impacts and abrasions, urethane (and polyurethane) coatings have a lot to offer.     These include:   Elastomeric memory: This means urethane products return to their original shape when stretched. Even at high durometers (hardness), urethane can be…

Your business doesn’t need parts that can be easily damaged. Parts that can crack, break, tear, swell, abrade, and deteriorate slow down operations and cost you money. Mark Tool Co., Inc. has manufactured countless parts and products used in industries worldwide. We can formulate a polymer for any application. We use polyurethane and urethane because…

  One of the things that sets Mark Tool Co., Inc apart is we do both cast urethane and rubber components. Most competitors do one or the other. What does this mean for you? "Some other companies might only offer polyurethane, so they are going to push that product over rubber,” says Mark Tool Co., Inc.…

Offshore oil and gas extraction equipment and fleet vehicles take a lot of abuse, and traditional rubber parts sometimes can't handle it week after week, month after month. More companies are discovering that urethane and polyurethane parts offer some distinct and attractive advantages over conventional rubber parts. Most OEMs use rubber parts and many repair…

SPLASHTRON is a highly specialized coating used to insulate and protect risers, platforms, pipelines and other equipment in the splash zone. SPLASHTRON—invented and manufactured solely by Mark Tool Co., Inc.—can also minimize and eliminate many of the common issues associated with line pulling when laying utility pipe via directional boring. When determining your cost for these kinds…

Splash Zone Anticorrosive Systems   The best way to protect risers and hull piping from splash zones is by using ThermoTron 350 offshore pipeline coating. ThermoTron is a specially-formulated version of Mark Tool's SPLASHTRON for use in high temperatures. Read on to learn more about how ThermoTron is splash zone coating to protect your risers,…

Offshore Drilling's Business Language   You no doubt have heard some common words bandied around in the offshore drilling industry. Some of the terms change, some are different from region to region. But as long as the company men have something to say and you don’t want to be out of the loop, you’ll want…

When considering the oil and gas employment sector: there’s good news and bad news. First, the good news. The United States economy is finally demonstrating some economic positives: in June, 287,000 new jobs were created, with the unemployment rate holding below 5 percent. As a result of the rebounding economy, oil prices are set to…

Rubber is one of the strongest and most versatile tool-making materials available. Rubber tools and equipment can be used in a wide range of environments, remaining functional in atmospheres that are hot, cold, wet, or dry. Because it is a non-conductive substance, rubber also acts as an insulator in electrical devices. It is not as…