Hosted By: American Petroleum Institute (API)
Dates: November 13, 2023 - November 17, 2023
API 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction, is a standard developed and published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and covers the inspection, repair, alteration, and reconstruction of steel aboveground storage tanks used in the petroleum and chemical industries. API 653 was originally published in January of 1991, and the most recent 5th edition was released in November of 2014.
The requirements set forth in API 653 are meant to cover those steel storage tanks that were constructed under the standards of API 650 and its predecessor API 12C. If there are any conflicts found between this standard and those, API 653 is to take precedence. While it was specifically written to apply to those tanks constructed under API 650 and API 12C, API 653 can, at the owner’s discretion, be applied to tanks constructed under other standards as well.
This standard provides the minimum requirements for maintaining the integrity of welded or riveted, non-refrigerated and refrigerated, atmospheric pressure, aboveground storage tanks after they have been placed into service. It only applies to maintaining the integrity of the foundation, bottom, shell, structure, roof, attached appurtenances, and nozzles to the face of the first flange, first threaded joint, or first welding-end connection of the tank.
This standard recognizes fitness-for-service assessment concepts for evaluating in-service degradation of pressure containing components. API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, Fitness-For-Service, provides detailed assessment procedures or acceptance criteria for specific types of degradation referenced in this standard. When this standard does not provide specific evaluation procedures or acceptance criteria for a specific type of degradation or when this standard explicitly allows the use of fitness-for-service criteria, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 may be used to evaluate the various types of degradation or test requirements addressed in this standard.
API offers a 653 certification through their Individual Certification Program. The API 653 Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector must have a broad knowledge base relating to tank inspection and repair of aboveground storage tanks, and will satisfy the minimum qualifications specified in API Standard 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction.
API 653 certification is valid for a three-year term and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This accreditation ensures that the exam has been developed to the highest standard for openness and integrity and meets the rigorous requirements established under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17024.
We welcome updates to this Integripedia definition from the Inspectioneering community. Click the link below to submit any recommended changes for Inspectioneering's team of editors to review.
Contribute to DefinitionTexas legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 900 (SB 900) which goes into effect in September 2023. It mandates that ASTs with a capacity of over 21,000 gallons must protect the ground and surface water. How prepared are you?
The assessment procedures in API 579 may also be applied to pressure-containing equipment constructed to other recognized codes and standards. The author will examine the application of these procedures to aboveground storage tanks.
Resulting from developing a 20-year nonintrusive inspection strategy, a successful experience is presented using a volumetric examination on a modified storage tank shell-to-bottom weld, known in the industry as corner-weld.
This article examines the quantitative tank RBI method found in API 581 and discusses uses for tank RBI other than deferral of scheduled internal inspections.
Asset owners can realize economic and HSE benefits from utilizing internal in-service robots for hazardous fluid tank inspection. Achieving high levels of coverage and collecting enormous amounts of quantitative data are possible for clean tanks.
Equity Engineering Practices® (EEPs) are a collection of design and maintenance focused corporate standards that include >850 engineering standards, and >300 piping classes. Enhance your mechanical integrity programs, improve equipment...
This article presents a methodology for calculating and understanding how many qualified API inspectors you need to staff in order to improve fixed equipment mechanical integrity and reliability at your operating site.
The refining and petrochemical industries will continue to benefit from the evolution of robotics and data management. The biggest hurdle will be to accept this evolution and embrace the new capabilities that come with it.
A summary of some of the important topics that were discussed at the Spring Meeting, including the recently-held API Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit, subcommittee activities, and progress with the API Individual Certification Program.
The 2019 API Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit will be kicking off later this month in Galveston, TX. This four-day event will begin with 14 high level training courses offered Monday, January 28th, and then a top notch conference and...
In Part 1 of this 2-part series, published in the July/August 2015 issue of Inspectioneering Journal, I discussed corrosion control methods and some effective techniques for inspecting ASTs, and also identified several root causes of AST failures in...
Traditional pressure vessel inspections often require taking assets out of service. However, MISTRAS’ Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) programs provide data as good or better than internal inspections, while assets remain in service. NII is...
Refinery, petrochemical, and storage tank operators are responsible for properly cleaning facility tanks on a periodic maintenance basis, typically in 20 to 30 year increments. This article provides a suggested “checklist” of inspection...
Maintaining the mechanical integrity of above ground storage tanks (AST’s) is the focal point of tank inspection programs. Performing internal inspections is an integral part of a tank integrity program, however, deciding when to take a tank out...
At PinnacleAIS, we often get requests for a Senior API Inspector. But what does that mean exactly? What qualifications are required? Is there a test or a certification that provides the end user with assurance they are getting a higher caliber...
This week’s post takes up right where last week’s post left off in our discussion on Corrosion Management and Control (CM&C) Management Systems. Here are the last two Corrosion Management and Control Management Systems.
A new API Individual Certification Program (ICP) will be offered soon to certify inspectors who perform quality assurance (QA) surveillance and inspection activities on new materials and equipment for the energy and chemical (E&C) industry. It is...
Traditional, paper-based inspection processes can prevent plants from being as effective as they can be. By digitalizing your mechanical integrity process and data with MISTRAS Digital®, plants have realized up to 75% gains in IDMS data entry and...
Several new API inspection recommended practices exist in which inspectors need to be knowledgeable and qualified. This article details some of those standards.
The API Inspection Subcommittee has issued the second edition of their inspection benchmarking survey. We are encouraging as many sites, worldwide, to participate as possible, so that we have the most amount of data available for analysis and...
The API Subcommittees on Inspection and Pressure Vessels & Tanks are ever vigilant in keeping up with current trends and state-of-the-art technology for in-service inspection of pressure vessels, process piping, and aboveground storage tanks. One...
Inspectioneering teams up with Gecko Robotics to discuss how new technologies are optimizing API 653 inspections and driving operational efficiencies.
Inspectioneering teams up with The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. to bring you "FFS Assessment of Aboveground Storage Tanks - Common Pitfalls and Case Studies," a one hour webinar presented by Kate Gustoff.
API conducted a survey of customers that validated the importance of ICP certifications to the individuals pursuing or holding certifications, as well as to the companies and the industry they work for.
This helpful guide provides an outline of current jurisdictional regulations (as of July 2021) in the United States for the use of RBI as a means of determining the next inspection date for initial and subsequent internal inspection of storage tanks.