Case Study: Enhanced Asset Integrity Performance Through Improved Data Management
Establishing Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs) for Refinery Fired Heaters
Fitness-for-Service Forum: The Problem with Inspection of Older Vessels
How to Justify Reliability Improvement Initiatives
Inspection: A Critical Element of Turnarounds, Shutdowns and Outages
RBI Lessons Learned - Common and Not So Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Effective Implementation and Management of Integrity Operating Windows
Enhancing AIM Software with Corrosion Control Documents
Fitness-for-Service Forum: Corrosion Assessment without the Grid
HTHA Inspection Detection Confidence Improves Basis for New API Recommendations
Improving Turnaround Performance with Detailed Inspection Planning
Managing the Integrity of Insulated Equipment: The Right Non-Destructive Examinations
Proven Strategies for Developing Successful Corrosion Management Systems
6 Things You Need to Know About API 579
Certified vs. Qualified: What It Takes to Become a Capable FEMI Inspector
Demystifying Drones and Offshore Inspections
Evaluation and Selection of Risk Based Inspection (RBI) Software
Quality Assurance - Inspection Strategy Execution
The Importance of Mentoring the Next Generation of Inspectioneers
A Lifetime of Integrity - Overcoming the Challenges in Managing the Life-Cycle of Aging Assets
Effect of Elemental Sulfur Deposits in Refinery Heat Exchangers - A Case Study
Effect of High Temperature Hydrogen Attack in Dissimilar Materials
Fitness for Service of Damaged Oil Pipeline Using Finite Element Analysis
Fitness for Service of FRP: Moving Towards Best Practices
Secrets to Becoming a Well-Informed Risk Based Inspection Professional
11 Things You Need to Know About Hot Spots in Pressure Equipment
Cognitive Inspection Analytics in Asset Performance Management
Development of a Wall Sticking Drone for Non-Destructive Ultrasonic and Corrosion Testing
Effectively Communicating Your Objectives to Achieve Mechanical Integrity Excellence
Four Realized Benefits of a Transition from a Time-Based to a Risk-Based Inspection Approach
Inspection of Relief Devices per API RP 576
RBI Implementation for Process Plant Piping — A Case Study Using an Optimized Approach
12 Things to Do After Discovering a Mechanical Failure
Advancements in Network-distributed Ultrasonic Sensors
Combating Sea Cooling Water Corrosion
How to Develop a Proactive Risk-Based Integrity Management Framework for Plant Assets
Observations on Flaw Tolerance and Brittle Fracture: The Effect of Post Weld Heat Treatment
Spending Your Turnaround Budget Contingency: Is it Inevitable?
Thermal Decomposition: A Technique for Cleaning Process Equipment
Using Digital Data Management Systems to Streamline Work Processes
Article Index
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Simon Yuen, P.E. at Suncor Energy Inc., and Ken Gottselig at BP America Production CompanyHot spots – localized areas of overheating in pressure equipment – can lead to deformation or even loss of process containment. It is important to understand the effects of elevated temperature caused by hot spots on the mechanical integrity of equipment.
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Neil Burns at Stress Engineering ServicesThe actions you take immediately after a failure are critical in understanding the cause and appropriate steps to remedy the problem. However, the wrong moves might prevent you from getting the answers you need.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Garic at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.API 579-1 is a complex document covering several different types of equipment that may contain flaws or damage. Due to its complexity, this article condenses it into six things you need to know.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy James R. Widrig at Quest Integrity, and James Wilson at Quest IntegrityAs assets age and production demands grow, it becomes increasingly critical to implement sustainable long-term AIM strategies and programs. This article dives into the elements that will help ensure the successful management of assets throughout their life-cycle.
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Addressing the Great Crew Change - A Recap of the Fall 2017 Meeting of the Minds Roundtable Discussion
March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Tyler Alvarado at InspectioneeringLast November, Inspectioneering and PinnacleART hosted a roundtable discussion for a select group of leading mechanical integrity experts. This forum explored how the MI field will have to prepare for the impending loss of knowledge resulting from the “Great Crew Change.”
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Bruce A. Pellegrino at Sensor Networks, Inc., and Mark Feydo at Sensor Networks, Inc.Over the past few years, network technologies have been developed to eliminate the need for long cables for UT thickness monitoring. Coupled with a software back-end, permanently-installed UT sensors have become much more competitive in the industrial landscape.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Asquini at T.A. CookThis article discussed the importance of an asset management philosophy that integrates software, maintenance tools (RCM, FMECA, RBI, PM, and PdM), data collection, and analytics to improve and optimize asset management through emerging technologies and methodologies.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Efrain Rios at Fortress Oil & Gas, LLCThis article describes how an international oil and gas company built an inspection data management program for its U.S. operations yielding improved confidence in decision-making information, cost savings through increased efficiency, and an overall improvement in the asset integrity program’s performance.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at IntertekStudying for and passing a test does not necessarily equate to competence as a process or contract inspector for hire. This article explores what it takes to become a capable inspector in this ever-changing industry.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Vipin Nair at GE Digital, and Sarah Lukens at GE DigitalWith time being one of the most precious assets for turnaround teams, finding ways to optimize analysis and recommendations is crucial. This article demonstrates how the use of APM software can help prevent unplanned downtime by quickly identifying potential hidden failures.
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ashfaq AnwerSea water corrosion and erosion issues can affect almost all commonly used metallurgy in a refinery or petrochemical plant. This brief article explains the dangers behind sea water used in plant cooling systems and discusses several metallurgical and material solutions to resist sea cooling water corrosion.
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Partner Content
Industrial Rope Access is a proven method of achieving a safe work position at elevated heights or areas that are difficult to access. When combined with advanced NDE technologies, rope access technicians can substantially reduce the cost of inspections and maintenance activities by virtually eliminating the need for fixed scaffolding.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Philip Buchan at CyberhawkThe benefits and advantages of drone inspection over other methods have made this technology a viable solution in industry. As utilization of drone technology continues to grow and expand, it’s important to not only understand what they can do but also, their limitations.
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Developing a Fitness for Service Approach for Reduced Toughness Carbon Steel Piping, Flanges & Fittings
May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ralph E. King P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc., John Norris, P.E. at Stress Engineering Services, Dr. Kannan Subramanian, Ph. D., P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc., and Daniel Ayewah, P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc.There is concern in the industry over recent findings of reduced toughness fittings and flanges at risk of brittle fracture. This article provides an overview; possible contributors; measures taken to address; and a proposed FFS approach to address the issue.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Rami Mattar at Amerapex CorporationThis article features a case study on the feasibility of a wall-sticking drone for effectively conducting ultrasonic testing and other NDT methods on equipment at elevated heights.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Nayef Alanazi at Saudi Aramco R&D Center, and Muthukumar Nagu at Saudi Aramco R&D CenterThis article presents a case study from a Middle Eastern refinery that explores a heat exchanger that failed unexpectedly after five years in service. There are multiple initiators that can cause under deposit corrosion (UDC) in heat exchangers in addition to sulfur, which is the focus of this article.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Samer E. Ibrahim at woodHTHA of hydrogen-containing equipment can be prevented with appropriate material selection and fabrication, appropriate welding procedures, regular inspection of equipment using proven, effective technologies and equipment operated by qualified technicians, well monitored and controlled temperatures and hydrogen partial pressure.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Yousuf Hasani at Continental Marine Energy Sdn. Bhd. MalaysiaThis article presents a management approach for the implementation of Integrity Operating Window (IOWs) under API RP 584 and discusses the IOW planning process and how input from other programs like RBI and Corrosion Management Plans is critical to establish appropriate limits.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at IntertekThis article is designed to help the reader better communicate their FEMI Mission, Vision, Core Values and Responsibilities to all stakeholders at their site.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Stephen P. Webb at MetegrityWhether implementing a comprehensive AIM strategy for the first time or looking for ways to create overlap between AIM activities and documents that historically have acted as information silos, consider utilizing CCDs. They serve as a useful initiation point for centralizing all known material selection, degradation, process plant circuitization, known risks, recommendations, and inspection best practices.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Tim Hill at Quest Integrity GroupThis article provides an overview of the key components in establishing IOWs, the levels of IOW limits, and the basic principles and application of API Recommended Practice 584 to achieve reliable fired heater performance.
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Establishing the Right Mindset as Industry Seeks Improved Performance - An Important Challenge as We Move into 2018
January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering JournalMost of us that work integrity and reliability understand what we do and how we do it. But how many of us understand WHY we do things? Understanding the motives behind our activities, initiatives and programs can help to galvanize and lay a foundation for long term success.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ibrahim Kodssi at Independent ConsultantSoftware implementation, including RBI, comes with a lot of ad-hoc challenges and pitfalls. There are numerous options for RBI software currently available, and they may differ by design, purpose, function, scope and capabilities. This article highlights several key integrity-related aspects to consider when selecting RBI software.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dhananjay H. Rawal at Systech Consultancy ServicesThis article details the experience an oil company had when using FEA to evaluate the implications of a damaged pipeline. Specifically, it presents an efficient method that combines analytical techniques with FEA to determine the pipeline’s fitness for continued service.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Geoff Clarkson at UTComp, Inc.With no industry consensus documents in existence that provide guidance for determining FFS of FRP, this article provides a case study that illustrates how an existing European design standard on GRP tanks can be used to calculate expected changes in FRP for FRP vessels.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Garic at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.In this column, I touch on what I see as an underused FFS technique for corrosion assessment: point assessment of corrosion – a technique that does NOT require a thickness grid. The reason I find this technique useful is largely because it’s so easy and cheap to implement.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Garic at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.In this edition of the FFS Forum, Greg Garic addresses some issues associated with inspection of vessels that have been in service for a number of decades. He also provides some tips and guidelines for reliability and inspection to follow when inspecting these older vessels.
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Partner Content
InVista is a lightweight, hand-held ultrasonic in-line inspection tool (intelligent pig) capable of detecting pipeline wall loss and corrosion in unpiggable or difficult-to-inspect pipelines. The pipeline geometry inspection data captured by the InVista tool is exceptionally powerful when combined with the LifeQuest™ Pipeline fitness-for-service capabilities, providing an integrated solution set for the pipeline industry.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Cesar Espinoza at PinnacleART, and Sudhakar Mahajanam at PinnacleARTAs RBI continues to proliferate across industry, there are still those that are reluctant to transition from a time-based to risk-based inspection approach - especially in the upstream oil & gas business. These 4 benefits might help to lessen the resistance to RBI.
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mohamed Attia at Saudi AramcoThis article, the first of a multi-part series, discusses the methodology and need for establishing an integrated and holistic framework for managing asset integrity on a day-to-day basis.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Campo at PinnacleARTThis article walks you through a three-step approach, while providing different scenarios, for identifying and proving the value of reliability improvement initiatives.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Michael Nugent at Equity Engineering Group, and Timothy Armitt at LINDT, UKThis article discusses the advances in NDE that have given owners increased confidence on how to assess equipment integrity in HTHA service providing risk prioritization of equipment as well as providing the ability to make more reliable run/repair/replace decisions.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy James "Chezo" Cesarini, PE at Pro-Surve Technical Services, LLCThe most valuable unit of measure within a turnaround is not money, but time. Successful turnaround planners are now integrating the Detailed Inspection Planner (DIP) within their teams to increase the accuracy of planning and reduce the time required to complete the turnaround.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Keith Lapeyrouse at Process Reliability SolutionsThis article demonstrates the process of converting API RP 576, Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices, into a work process that is suitable for conversion into a job procedure. It also explores some lessons learned that will make the document more relevant.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Stephen J. Thomas at PK TechnologyAn effective outage requires an efficient work effort, driven by a detailed work scope. Of all the different roles and efforts involved in these major events, Inspection plays a significant role in ensuring an outage’s success.
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Making the Leap to Upgrade Your Software – A Follow-up to Achieving the Full Potential of Asset Performance Management Applications
July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Stephen Flory at PinnacleART, Brian Maslar at Amplify Technology Solutions, and Pete Ankner at Amplify Technology SolutionsThis article discusses Asset Performance Management (APM) software implementation strategies and the challenges owners face when upgrading their software to the newest version.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalThe challenge to find CUI is difficult and one single NDE technique cannot be used to identify it. This remains the case today as we combine NDE techniques to perform CUI assessments. The techniques and strategies commonly used today are summarized in this article.
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Phillip E. Prueter at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.Given the concern throughout industry regarding the potential for brittle fracture failures, PWHT guidance to address potential issues arising from the recent changes in PWHT code requirements for carbon steel is examined in this article, and commentary on the potential reduction in fracture toughness due to PWHT is provided based on a review of published literature.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Rick Eckert at DNV GL - North America Oil & Gas, and Gerry Koch at DNV GLCorrosion control knowledge and resources can be applied more effectively through the development and implementation of a corrosion management system (CMS). A CMS better-connects management system elements to the process of managing corrosion threats, thereby increasing ROI.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering JournalWhether you are implementing an inspection strategy based on RBI or traditional methods, work should be completed according to a well-defined plan. What are you doing to assure that work is executed as prescribed and that results are reported and acted on appropriately?
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Partner ContentFacilities are facing increasing challenges, including justifying inflated budgets, managing contractor hours, ensuring regulatory compliance and qualifying the work being completed. To help facilities manage evolving inspection requirements, PinnacleART offers Fixed-Price Inspection (FPI), meaning we will develop and execute a comprehensive Risk-Based Inspection plan for one fixed-price. Yes, you read that right – one fixed-price.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ibrahim Kodssi at Independent Consultant, and Houssam Sabry at ADNOC LNGImplementing RBI for process piping can be a very tedious and lengthy exercise, especially for major process plants with thousands of feet of interconnected piping. This article shares the experience of ADNOC LNG following a structured RBI approach for piping groups.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering JournalThis article shares examples of where RBI work processes either broke down or were non-existent, or where the user did not fully understand the technology or overall RBI logic and the results.
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Realized Benefits from RBI Implementation - A Recap of the Fall 2018 Meeting of the Minds Roundtable Discussion
November/December 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
Inspectioneering and PinnacleART hosted a roundtable discussion for a select group of mechanical integrity and reliability experts to explore whether or not operators are realizing actual benefits from implementing RBI at their facilities.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dheeraj Narang at Haldor Topsoe India Pvt Ltd.This article intends to use a top-down approach of describing RBI methodology and how it fits in a facility management system. The main idea of this article is to provide a comprehensive picture of RBI methodology in terms of basics, technology trends, implementation guidance, and evaluating a potential RBI technology partner.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Chad Patschke, CPSA at Ethos Mechanical Integrity SolutionsAccording to API 570, facilities must have a mechanical integrity program in place for critical check valves. But what criteria determines whether or not a check valve is critical in your process? How should check valves be inspected and by whom?
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mark Rigdon at T.A. Cook Consultants, Inc.Teams planning and executing turnarounds are obliged to not only stay within budget, but to reduce or eliminate the need to spend the contingency allowance. This article introduces a risk-based approach to help avoid squandering finances.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ashfaq AnwerThe best approach for better inspection confidence and long term asset integrity is to conduct baseline inspections upon receipt of an asset. Baseline inspection can save millions by providing accurate baseline information for later comparisons and preventing safety incidents caused by critical oversights during the construction phase.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy David McCann at Sentinel Integrity Solutions Inc.As mentorship programs continue to fade across the oil & gas, chemical, petrochemical, and other process industries, this article discusses a few of the main causes as well as the importance for stopping this trend.
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Kyle Dunn at Dunn Heat Exchangers, Inc.Cleaning of heat exchangers and other process equipment is typically done with the use of pressurized water (e.g., hydro-blasting). However, in some situations thermal decomposition, a technique that utilizes heat rather than water to break down foulants, might more effective.
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Jonathan Martinez at PK TechnologyInspection data is vulnerable to flaws in collection and retention. For example, data might be inaccurate, duplicate, or incomplete due to procedural breakdowns. This article introduces Digital Data Management Systems (DDMS) as a response to these widespread data inaccuracies.
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July/August 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Stephen J. Thomas at PK TechnologyAdvancements in technology offer organizations huge opportunities for improvement. However, adoption of new tools can change the way an organization functions. If not properly managed, these changes can lead to wasted time and money and ultimately, failed initiatives.
