API Committee on Refining Equipment - Benchmarking Survey Results - Pressure Equipment Inspection

Late in 1994, the API surveyed their committee on refining equipment members in order to provide benchmarking information on the extent of Pressure Equipment Inspection (PEI) activities and programs underway at member companies. The benchmarking survey covered numerous aspects of industry PEI including: PEI staffing levels, PEI engineering expertise, PEI training and certification, PEI duties, procedures, services, inspection techniques, special emphasis inspection programs and record-keeping systems. The detailed results of the survey were released to participating companies at the May refining meeting in Cleveland.

Sixty-seven responses were received at the API from over 25 separate refiners, which is considered an excellent response. As indicated in Table 1, for reporting purposes those responses were separated into 3 groups according to refinery size. There were 19 responses from small refiners, which averaged 64,000 barrels/day throughout, ranging from 25,000 to 95,000 barrels/day. Those small refiners had an average of 16 separate process units, which included an average of 865 pressure vessels and 124 storage tanks.