Inspectioneering
Inspectioneering Journal

Rating Pressure Vessels with Poorly Kept Records

By Paolo Torrado, Mechanical Engineer at Engineering and Inspection Services, LLC. This article appears in the March/April 2015 issue of Inspectioneering Journal.
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An issue that arises frequently in the oil and gas industry is poor or missing documentation of pressure vessels. It is common in the industry to repurpose old equipment, bring equipment back into operation after a long period of time out of service, or rerate equipment due to debottlenecking of process units.

When documentation such as construction drawings and code forms are readily available, rerating or rating a pressure vessel is not difficult. API 510 and the NBIC provide guidance on the proper steps to be followed when rating or re-rating a pressure vessel, including:

  • Revise calculations to show the pressure vessel is suitable for the proposed service;

  • Perform rerating in accordance with the requirements of the vessel’s original construction code;

  • Review inspection records to verify that the pressure vessel is suitable for the proposed service;

  • Ensure the pressure vessel successfully passes a pressure test

In addition, the NBIC has provisions to allow the “R” Certificate Holder to apply a new nameplate or stamping for the rerated vessel.

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Comments and Discussion

Posted by George Addison on May 26, 2015
I can't log into My account! Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

Posted by MOHD JIBRIL on October 25, 2022
Thanks George, the article contains useful info &... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

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