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Blog
February 11, 2020 By Abby King at Becht Engineering
When paired with the right software, the RBWS process can lead to significant reductions in turnaround work scopes. However, some software tools have distinct advantages over others. |
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Blog
December 26, 2019 By Inspector Frank
I once worked with a chief inspector who refused to hire anyone who had any National Board inspection certifications. “Why?”, you might ask. I had the same question, and his response was “Because anyone with National Board is gunning for my... |
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Blog
December 18, 2019 By Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
At the end of every year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases its annual list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year. Although the list rarely sees... |
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Blog
December 9, 2019 By Calvin Jory at Olympus America
This article discusses two common challenges for inspectors taking thickness readings in high temperature environments and ways to overcome those challenges. |
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Blog
October 31, 2019 By Inspector Frank
Critical things often get missed in facilities but are these things being owned and fixed? We get good at reactively solving problems as they appear, but are we proactively working towards examining and fixing the potential larger issues? |
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Partner Content
LOTIS utilizes laser profilometry to conduct internal steam reformer tube inspections. The data captured by LOTIS is exceptionally powerful when combined with our LifeQuest™ remaining life assessment capabilities, providing an integrated... |
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September/October 2019 Inspectioneering Journal
By Tim Haugen at Quest Integrity
This article presents two cases studies demonstrating how properly conducting baseline fired heater tube inspection aids in early discovery and correction of defects, avoiding unexpected in-service failures, and more. |
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September/October 2019 Inspectioneering Journal
By Michael Nugent at AEIS, LLC, Steve Strachan at Sensor Networks Inc., and Art Leach at Sensor Networks Inc.
Thickness readings are critical for today's inspectors to accurately judge the state of their equipment. Recent advancements in sensors, software, and data management tools have made this easier, safer, and more efficient than ever before. |
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Blog
October 3, 2019 By Arcot (Radha) Radhakrishnan at Becht Engineering
Developing a comprehensive turnaround (TA) work scope for process equipment is a critical step for achieving a facility's business goals. Risk Based Work Selection is a proven process for prioritizing and optimizing planned work for an impending TA. |
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Blog
September 17, 2019 By Arcot (Radha) Radhakrishnan at Becht Engineering
Risk Based Work Selection (RBWS) is an industry best practice used to help refiners better-manage the safety and reliability of operations for a facility. When properly conducted, RBWS can help refiners optimize major turnaround projects. |
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Blog
August 29, 2019 By Inspector Frank
Just because you have a technical expert does not mean they will be an expert at managing people. Like any skill set, it takes training, time, and mentoring to become a good personnel manager. |
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Partner Content
InVista is a lightweight, hand-held ultrasonic in-line inspection tool (intelligent pig) capable of detecting pipeline wall loss and corrosion in unpiggable or difficult-to-inspect pipelines. The pipeline geometry inspection data captured by the... |
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Blog
June 27, 2019 By Inspector Frank
This is the first article in a new column. In each article, the author will share technical, thought-provoking, and sometimes humorous or emotional experiences garnered in a career that spans over 20 years inside the gates of facilities. |
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Blog
May 14, 2019 By PinnacleART
This blog will walk through practical steps for managing IOWS and will demonstrate what successful IOW management can look like. |
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Blog
December 28, 2018 By Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
At the end of every year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases its annual list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year. Although the list rarely sees... |
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Tim Hill at Quest Integrity Group
This article provides an overview of the key components in establishing IOWs, the levels of IOW limits, and the basic principles and application of API Recommended Practice 584 to achieve reliable fired heater performance. |
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Michael Nugent at AEIS, LLC, and Timothy Armitt at LINDT, UK
This article discusses the advances in NDE that have given owners increased confidence on how to assess equipment integrity in HTHA service providing risk prioritization of equipment as well as providing the ability to make more reliable... |
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By James "Chezo" Cesarini, PE at Pro-Surve Technical Services, LLC
The most valuable unit of measure within a turnaround is not money, but time. Successful turnaround planners are now integrating the Detailed Inspection Planner (DIP) within their teams to increase the accuracy of planning and reduce the time... |
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Chad Patschke, CPSA at Ethos Mechanical Integrity Solutions
According to API 570, facilities must have a mechanical integrity program in place for critical check valves. But what criteria determines whether or not a check valve is critical in your process? How should check valves be inspected and by whom? |
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Vipin Nair at GE Compliance and Integrity Management, and Sarah Lukens at GE Digital
This article demonstrates how the use of APM software can help prevent unplanned downtime by quickly identifying potential hidden failures. |
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Rami Mattar at Amerapex Corporation
This article features a case study on the feasibility of a wall-sticking drone for effectively conducting ultrasonic testing and other NDT methods on equipment at elevated heights. |
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Keith Lapeyrouse at Process Reliability Solutions
This article demonstrates the process of converting API RP 576, Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices, into a work process that is suitable for conversion into a job procedure. It also explores some lessons learned that will make the document... |
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Simon Yuen, P.E. at Suncor Energy Inc., and Ken Gottselig at BP America Production Company
Hot spots – localized areas of overheating in pressure equipment – can lead to deformation or even loss of process containment. It is important to understand the effects of elevated temperature caused by hot spots on the mechanical integrity of... |
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By John Reynolds at Intertek
This article is designed to help the reader better communicate their FEMI Mission, Vision, Core Values and Responsibilities to all stakeholders at their site. |
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Tyler Alvarado at Inspectioneering
Last November, Inspectioneering and PinnacleART hosted a roundtable discussion for a select group of leading mechanical integrity experts. This forum explored how the MI field will have to prepare for the impending loss of knowledge resulting from... |
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Ashfaq Anwer
Sea water corrosion and erosion issues can affect almost all commonly used metallurgy in a refinery or petrochemical plant. This brief article explains the dangers behind sea water used in plant cooling systems and discusses several metallurgical... |
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Neil Burns at Stress Engineering Services
The actions you take immediately after a failure are critical in understanding the cause and appropriate steps to remedy the problem. However, the wrong moves might prevent you from getting the answers you need. |
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
Most of us that work integrity and reliability understand what we do and how we do it. But how many of us understand WHY we do things? Understanding the motives behind our activities, initiatives and programs can help to galvanize and lay a... |
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Kyle Dunn at Dunn Heat Exchangers, Inc.
Cleaning of heat exchangers and other process equipment is typically done with the use of pressurized water (e.g., hydro-blasting). However, in some situations thermal decomposition, a technique that utilizes heat rather than water to break down... |
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January/February 2018 Inspectioneering Journal
By Phillip E. Prueter at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.
Given the concern throughout industry regarding the potential for brittle fracture failures, PWHT guidance to address potential issues arising from the recent changes in PWHT code requirements for carbon steel is examined in this article, and... |
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Blog
February 7, 2018 By Daniel J. Grucza at Hunton & Williams LLP
Last October, we saw the State of California implement its “PSM for Refineries” standard and now the State of Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) appears to be following suit, releasing draft language to adopt a... |
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Blog
December 29, 2017 By Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC., and Josh Means at Inspectioneering, LLC
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released its annual list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations. In 2017 Fall Protection, Hazard Communication, and Scaffolding once again... |
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November/December 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By James R. Widrig at Quest Integrity
In-service equipment failures present a considerable challenge to reliability engineers. This article presents a case study of a convection tube failure in a furnace and the analyses that were performed to understand the root cause and determine the... |
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Blog
December 19, 2017 By John Reynolds at Intertek
Industry SME John Reynolds provides his bi-annual updates from the API Standards Meeting and discusses developments related to the 2019 API Inspection Summit, SCIMI codes, standards, and recommended practices, and the API Individual Certification... |
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September/October 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Lee Williamson at T.A. Cook Consultants, Inc.
Detailed operations planning and scheduling is an essential, yet often marginalized, element of an effective turnaround. To increase the likelihood of executing successful turnarounds, facilities should create and update sound operational shutdown... |
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July/August 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Rick Hoffman at Becht Engineering
Most plants have pieces of equipment with chronic problems that impact profitability due to the frequency of outages, cost of repairs, and lost production. It is critical that specific actions are taken to identify and eliminate these “Bad... |
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July/August 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Richard W. Prugh at Chilworth Technology (a DEKRA Insight company)
In deflagration incidents, electrical arcs and electrostatic sparks are often considered to be primary ignition sources. However, there are a variety of other ignition sources. Do you consider mechanical equipment and the significant non-electrical... |
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May/June 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Ryan Myers at PinnacleART, and Brian Marino at PinnacleART
Effective condition monitoring location selection is a key component of a best-in-class mechanical integrity program. Learn how moving beyond traditional qualitative approaches to optimized CML selection can reduce risk and maximize the value of... |
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May/June 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By David E. Moore at Becht Engineering, PONO Division
Read a firsthand account of how organizing Process, People, Plant, and Performance can reveal breakdowns in your corrosion management practices and drive down corrosion related leaks. |
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Blog
June 1, 2017 By Nickole C. Winnett at Jackson Lewis P.C.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued two reports on the safe management of hazards by small businesses and storage facilities that use highly hazardous chemicals in business processes. |
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March/April 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Fernando Vicente at ABB, and Laza Krstin at ABB
Myths, challenges, and good practices related to process piping integrity management activities that help inspection and maintenance managers make the right decisions to develop cost-effective piping inspection plans without compromising the... |
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March/April 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Vibha Zaman, P.E. at Asset Optimization Consultants, and Leomar Penuela at Asset Optimization Consultants
This article discusses the use of the RBI methodology supplemented by a well-designed IOW program to assess and manage aging in fixed equipment and piping in hydrogen generation units. |
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January/February 2017 Inspectioneering Journal
By Edwin A. Merrick, PE at The Augustus Group
This article presents a perspective on the human factor and emphasizes the value of using risk tools at all levels in the organization to help provide management focus during times of severe economic pressure. |
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Blog
January 3, 2017 By Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
At the end of every year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases a list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year, comprised from approximately 32,000... |
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July/August 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Jackson Espinoza at Sentinel Integrity Solutions
An explanation of refractory including its uses and recent advancements in abrasion-resistant materials, dry-out/cure times, improved installation methods, and anchoring systems. |
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July/August 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Ralph E. King P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc., and Jacob Manuel, P.E. at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
An overview of process piping vibration and evaluating piping systems in vibration service to reduce harmful vibrations. |
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Online Article
Summertime requires refiners to push even harder on certain equipment, such as the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU), alkylation unit, and reformers to be able to meet increased demand. Warmer ambient temperatures can negatively affect process... |
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March/April 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Mark Lessard at Thermo Fisher Scientific
In numerous industries that require elemental and material testing, including the oil and gas, power generation, and petrochemical industries, positive material identification (PMI) is at the forefront of any operation. In fact, an increasing number... |
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Online Article
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to chat with Barney Smith, Turnaround Manager at Aggreko, a global leader in power, heating, cooling, and oil-free compressor rental solutions. Our discussion focused on catalyst cooling during... |
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January/February 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Melissa Ramkissoon at Petrotrin
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... |
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January/February 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
The enormous decline in oil prices over the past 14 months has definitely slowed projects and changed the energy and production landscape. Despite this, refineries, petrochemical plants, and chemical facilities must continue to run safely,... |
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January/February 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Walt Sanford at PinnacleART, and Mauricio Olivares at Pinnacle ART
Equipment integrity and reliability programs are essential for refinery and chemical facility operators. The processes of the programs are developed to ensure safety, optimize component life cycles, and promote smooth and economical operations. |
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January/February 2016 Inspectioneering Journal
By Dr. Jake Davies at Permasense Ltd.
Fixed equipment in a refinery can be susceptible to corrosion from the process side, necessitating an inspection strategy to understand the condition of that equipment. Online measurement of pipe and pressure vessel wall thickness is made possible... |
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Blog
January 4, 2016 By Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
We at Inspectioneering would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our subscribers, followers, clients, and industry partners for a great 2015, and wish every member of the Inspectioneering community a happy and healthy 2016! |
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July/August 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By John Reynolds at Intertek
Rarely is there a new and unknown cause of a major Fixed Equipment Mechanical Integrity (FEMI) failure in the petrochemical and refining industry. This article briefly summarizes five major fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) failures from... |
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May/June 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Amanda Nurse at BP, and Josh Havekost at BP
Assessing risk is an integral part of working at a refinery. Infrastructure supporting the miles of piping, process vessels, and the platforms and ladders used in daily unit operations are often taken for granted. The Civil Structures Management... |
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Online Article
Michael Heard, Risk Engineering Advisor, Process Safety / Technical Safety / Environmental at Hess Corporation recently spoke with marcus evans about key topics to be discussed at their upcoming Facility Siting and Risk Mitigation for Processing... |
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Walt Sanford at PinnacleART
Today, many managers are finding that they can address the reliability of all types of assets by combining RBI and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) processes together into one comprehensive reliability management process. |
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Andy Kates at Versa Integrity Group
Rope access allows for a wide variety of work to be performed at high elevations or other hard to reach areas without the use of scaffolding or heavy equipment. It has evolved from techniques used in rock climbing and caving to become an extremely... |
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Partner Content
ASTM International in partnership with the Codes and Standards Training Institute (CASTI), launched an eLearning course to provide individuals with a general knowledge relating to maintenance, inspection, repair, and alteration of pressure vessels... |
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Jeremy Wimberly at Sentinel Integrity Solutions
Refractory materials have significantly evolved during the past 15 years, testing technology is much more sophisticated, and the need for test technicians to be properly trained and experienced to use that technology is much more important than it... |
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By A.C. Gysbers at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.
The tubes of heat exchangers (HX), whether for a shell and tube bundle or an airfin, are typically subject to some form of nondestructive examination (NDE) to try and quantify the remaining wall thicknesses and corrosion rates to help a plant to... |
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Matt Midas at GenesisSolutions
With the advancements in today’s technology and improvements to Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), if we deploy them properly and in line with best practices, it is possible to reach... |
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Nick Harwood at Aetos Group, and Aaron Cook at Aetos Group
The ability to gain this unique perspective has recently become easier and safer with today’s technological advancements. This new technology comes in the form of a miniature flying machine, better known as a drone or small Unmanned Aerial System... |
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January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Pamela Hamblin at Thielsch Engineering, Inc.
Avoiding cracking under pressure when managing high-energy piping systems is common subject matter in the power industry. Just as high-energy piping can give way to pressure, stress and fatigue, so can the people in charge of operating them when... |
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January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Harold Marburger at Dunn Heat Exchangers
Whether onsite or offsite, the methods for cleaning shell and tube heat exchangers can vary. Refining and petrochemical operators will agree that high standards must be employed with each method. Choosing the right method can make the difference... |
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January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Fred Schenkelberg at FMS Reliability
Reliability engineering tools and concepts can be used to avoid or delay failures, thus increasing product service life. Design or maintenance teams use reliability engineering techniques to identify failures and their causes. |
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January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Clint Rupert at Engineered Resin Solutions (ERS)
Epoxy products have gone through extensive research and development over the years, and have reached the point that when specified for the correct environment, they should perform exactly as intended. |
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January/February 2015 Inspectioneering Journal
By Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
Challenges abounded in 2014 for the process industries, and it does not look like they will let up soon. But then again, that’s life, as they say. After 40 years in the industry the old adages still ring true, “there is nothing new under the... |
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November/December 2014 Inspectioneering Journal
By Scott Corey at Sentinel Integrity Solutions Inc.
One of the major challenges inspectors and plant operators face after each turnaround is to ensure that all repair and scope work is and was completed in accordance with the client’s requirements. Sometimes that verification will be to ensure work... |
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November/December 2014 Inspectioneering Journal
By Rajesh Bose at BP, and Terry M. Webb at BP
The introduction of PAUT is a challenging effort initially, but can have a very positive impact on your first TAR and become a routine inspection for future TARs. When fully implemented, radiation safety boundaries can be reduced significantly or... |
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November/December 2014 Inspectioneering Journal
By Kelsey Hevner at Quest Integrity Group
Steam reformers are critical assets for the successful operation of hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol plants. The steam reformer is also one of the most expensive assets in these facilities. Catalyst tubes inside the reformer are one of the most... |
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March/April 2014 Inspectioneering Journal
By Gerrit M. Buchheim, P.E. at Becht Engineering Co., Inc., Marc McConnell, P.E. at Pro-Surve Technical Services, and Josh Yoakam at Holly Frontier Companies
High temperature sulfidation is probably the most well- known corrosion mechanism in the oil refining industry because it occurs in large sections of the refinery. |
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March/April 2013 Inspectioneering Journal
By Thomas Fortinberry at Quest Integrity Group, and James R. Widrig at Quest Integrity
Steam reformers are critical assets to many refining and chemical manufacturing plants and facilities, and it is well known that the reformer is one of the most challenging assets to maintain and operate. Common problems in reformer operations... |
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July/August 2010 Inspectioneering Journal
By Craig Emslie BSc at Sonomatic Ltd., and Karen Gibson at Sonomatic Ltd.
Inspection intervals for equipment have in the past been defined in a prescriptive manner. However, industry is now embracing the Risk Based Inspection (RBI) approach which in contrast prioritises inspections based on an assessment of the risk to... |
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September/October 2000 Inspectioneering Journal
By T.C. Ridgeway & Staff at TCRI
In part 1 of this article we covered the importance of quality assurance of UT data, that is, understanding for each particular application, the accuracy required of the UT data, and new ways/graphical program to analyze and show the... |
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January/February 1999 Inspectioneering Journal
By Joseph E. Pascente at Lixi, Inc.
One of the greatest challenges facing many of refining, fossil power, and pulp and paper industries is: How to effectively examine their insulated piping? |
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September/October 1997 Inspectioneering Journal
By John Reynolds at Intertek
This is the fourth in a series of articles on piping inspection that I'm writing for the Journal. One of the previous ones dealt with improving thickness data taking accuracy with digital ultrasonic methods. This article is a "sister article" that... |
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March/April 1997 Inspectioneering Journal
By John Reynolds at Intertek
This is the second in a series of articles on piping inspection. In the last article, I enumerated four inspection issues that I believe contribute to inadequate piping mechanical integrity in the hydrocarbon process industry. |
Effective pipeline integrity management has been problematic for a large number of pipelines that were not designed for in-line inspection. Quest Integrity understands the complexities involved with this challenging segment and offers a...
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a video demonstrating the agency's positive safety impact in 2016. The video was posted just days after President Trump proposed his "America First" budget plan, which calls for the elimination of...
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Partner Content
Our proprietary furnace tube inspection system, FTIS™, is an ultrasonic inspection technology capable of rapid, automated fired heater coil inspection in refinery fired heaters. The data captured by our furnace tube inspection system is... |
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News
KPLC News, January 14, 2020
On Monday at approximately 1:15 p.m. local time, an explosion and fire rocked a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit at Sasol's Lake Charles Chemical Project. |
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Partner Content
InVista is a lightweight, hand-held ultrasonic in-line inspection tool (intelligent pig) capable of detecting pipeline wall loss and corrosion in unpiggable or difficult-to-inspect pipelines. The pipeline geometry inspection data captured by the... |
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News
IPEIA, September 16, 2019
The 24th IPEIA Conference & Exhibition registration is now live. Register now and take advantage of an Early Bird reduced rate ($100 savings)! |
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News
Reuters, August 13, 2019
Royal Dutch Shell Plc will begin restarting units at its Norco, Louisiana chemical and refining facilities this week following overhauls. |
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News
International Pressure Equipment Integrity Association (IPEIA), August 13, 2019
IPEIA is currently accepting technical presentation abstracts for the 2020 IPEIA Conference and Tradeshow. Abstracts are being accepted up until September 6, 2019. |
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News
Reuters, July 15, 2019
A unit at Royal Dutch Shell’s Pulau Bukom refinery and petrochemical complex experienced an operational upset on Sunday, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday. |
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News
INEOS Phenol, July 11, 2019
INEOS Phenol has announced it will build a world scale, state of the art cumene unit in Marl, Germany, to be completed in 2021. |
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News
ExxonMobil, June 13, 2019
ExxonMobil today said that it has completed an expansion at its Singapore refinery to upgrade its production of EHC™ Group II base stocks. |
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News
INEOS, June 3, 2019
INEOS will invest $2 billion in building its first ever manufacturing plants in Saudi Arabia, in what is believed to be one of the largest UK investments ever in the Kingdom. |
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News
Inspectioneering Staff, May 22, 2019
United Rentals' charity sporting clays tournament raises $20,000 for local veterans organization Fisher House. |
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News
WorleyParsons, April 29, 2019
WorleyParsons has officially completed its US$3.2 billion acquisition of Jacobs ECR, and adopted ‘Worley’ as its new brand. |
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News
Reuters, March 20, 2019
Firefighters on Wednesday extinguished a fire at a Mitsui & Co petrochemical storage site outside Houston that has been billowing acrid smoke for days, the company said. |
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News
U.S. Chemical Safety Board, June 30, 2015
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has recently voted unanimously to update the status of fifteen safety recommendations resulting from nine accident investigations, including... |
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News
US Chemical Safety Board, December 1, 2014
Today the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) formally announced that to “Modernize U.S. Process Safety Management Regulations” is the Board’s newest Most Wanted Safety Improvement, concluding that implementation of key federal and state CSB... |
