API Developing Program for UT Technician Qualification Demonstration Testing

The API Subcommittee on Inspection (SCI) has determined to initiate a program covering the qualification of ultrasonic (UT) technicians conducting inspections.

During their last several meetings, the SCI has heard member reports regarding the need to maintain the high quality of inspection data. In particular, the need for high quality and accurate UT shear wave data is becoming increasingly important for fitness for service (FFS) applications and risk- based inspection (RBI). The availability of high-quality UT data is often the cornerstone for FFS and RBI decisions.

The SCI also believes that it is in the industry’s best interest for the API to implement a program that would assist in defining the minimum criteria for assessing the performance of these UT technicians. Accordingly, at their Fall 1998 meeting, the SCI formed a steering committee to oversee the development of a UT qualification program.

The steering committee met on December 1, 1998. The committee formalized the program objective as follows:

“To establish a permanent, long-term contractor performance demonstration program for qualifying UT contractors to perform flaw detection and sizing on pressure retaining equipment in petroleum and petrochemical facilities. The structure, funding and details of the permanent program, as well as the third-party testing agency, will be developed and identified during this pilot program.”

The steering committee and API are working to define many of the program administrative and technical requirements.