Profile on AGIP Refinery Inspection Department-Livorno, Italy

Firstly, I want to thank the inspection/materials engineering/ corrosion department manager, Giovanni Graziani, for agreeing to my visit and for sharing experiences with the Inspectioneering Journal community. The hospitiality of Giovanni, two of his senior area inspectors, Alessandro Grassi and Sauro Benini and Edy Sgherri their IT support person, will not be forgotten, nor the excellent food and espresso in the cafeteria.

I had called the day prior from Pisa to confirm the site visit. The Agip inspection staff were eager to hear of challenges and progress of US refiners and industry activities such as API developments and direction, database systems, management of inspection processes, Risk based inspection, the processes by which US owner operators gain regulatory approval of advances/revisions to codes and standards practices and use of advanced NDE, especially for on-stream inspections.