Before new coating systems are introduced on offshore installations on the Norwegian sector they
need to be pre-qualified according to the NORSOK M-501 standard "Surface preparation and
protective coating". However, the ideal conditions, under which standard test specimens are
prepared, are unrealistic during coating maintenance offshore. In this work we have studied the
effect of coating application and curing conditions on corrosion and adhesion properties of repair
coating systems to be used on offshore structures after cleaning down to bare steel. Pre-rusted
steel panels cleaned by ultra high pressure water jetting, blast cleaning and mechanical grinding
were used as substrates. The surface salt concentration and level of flash rusting when paint was
applied were generally comparable to real offshore conditions. Coatings were applied and cured in a
climate cabinet at environmental conditions simulating the weather conditions in the North Sea, e.g.,
at 10°C and 80 % relative humidity. The effect of application and curing conditions on corrosion and
adhesion properties of more than 30 coating systems was investigated by ageing resistance testing
in accordance to IS0 20340, procedure A and field exposure.