RBI Standards Development

The API Committee on Refinery Equipment (CRE) has charted a task group to develop an API recommended practice (RP 580), which will detail all the vital aspects of Risk-Based Inspection. This standard will not detail or propose any one specific RBI procedure, but will detail all the important aspects, issues and concerns that a valid RBI procedure could and/or should consider. Users will then have a choice of selecting and utilizing a specific RBI procedure that meets their needs. In addition, the API procedure and software being developed by the API project, it is expected that some users will formulate and implement their own procedures while others may select various other RBI procedures available in the public domain and/or available as commercial products from engineering contractors.

API RP 580 is currently in its initial draft stage and is not expected to publish before 1999. Balloting this document within the API CRE is expected to commence in 1998.