Oil and Gas Engineering Training Courses


Process Plant Equipment Integrity: Inspection, Evaluation, & Repair Techniques for Piping

Introduction:

Petroleum refineries, petrochemicals, and process plants contain vast arrays of equipment and extensive piping networks handling hazardous and corrosive fluids across a broad spectrum of temperatures and pressures. 

In this process plant equipment integrity and inspection techniques course, participants will ensure the integrity and reliability of this equipment and the associated piping, which requires conscientious design efforts, along with vigilant monitoring to assure continued fitness for service between scheduled turnarounds.

The construction of process equipment and piping systems adheres to industry codes and standards, with fabrication and welding processes undergoing rigorous inspections to rectify any deficiencies and comply with the acceptance criteria of the respective codes.

Deployed equipment and piping endure various deterioration rates due to exposure to process fluids, necessitating a precise understanding of their current condition and degradation rate. Timely maintenance and repairs are critical to avert equipment failures, and this is where practical inspection and evaluation techniques come into play – they are essential for sustaining plant integrity.

Regular and thorough inspections are cornerstone practices within any industrial plant maintenance regimen, with the success of such programs largely depending on Nondestructive Inspection (NDI or NDT) techniques utilized. NDT methods enable flaw detection that could lead to future failures, providing valuable insights into the integrity of pipelines and a gauge of their safety margins.

The process plant equipment integrity and inspection techniques course is imperative to grasp the capabilities and constraints of both traditional and advanced NDE tools to optimize the efficacy of every inspection exercise.

Moreover, modern-day plant operators are compelled to minimize maintenance costs by reducing downtime. Practical inspection is a significant contributor to achieving this goal.

Piping Connection and Flexible Piping Connections:

A critical component of process plant integrity is the quality and reliability of piping connections. Whether they are standard rigid joints or flexible piping connections, these components are crucial for maintaining the continuous and safe operation of the plant.

This process plant equipment integrity and inspection techniques course will delve into the standards, inspection techniques in the oil and gas industry, and maintenance strategies that ensure the long-term reliability and integrity of these connections.

Targeted Groups:

  • Process, Mechanical, and Chemical Engineers.
  • Operation and Maintenance Engineers.
  • Project Engineers.
  • Supervisors and Managers.
  • Technical Personnel are involved in the inspection.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this process plant equipment integrity and inspection techniques course, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize damage and degradation mechanisms that affect process equipment and piping, which progressively undermine their condition and suitability for continued service.
  • Acknowledge that practical inspection is the backbone of plant integrity, with significant implications for Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and the company's financial performance.
  • Understand industry codes and promote best practices related to the inspection, repair, and alteration of process equipment and piping, including ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) and various API standards and recommended practices.
  • Gain comprehensive insights into fitness-for-service assessment methodologies and API/ASME FFS standards crucial for making informed run/repair/replace decisions concerning damaged equipment/piping.
  • Explore the primary industry codes and practices for repairs and alterations to align maintenance with business objectives and cost reductions.
  • Learn methods for executing fitness-for-service assessments of impaired equipment/piping to facilitate informed run/repair/replace decisions.

Targeted Competencies:

At the end of this process plant equipment integrity and inspection techniques course, the participants will be able to:

  • Understand essential knowledge regarding in-service degradation and damage mechanisms affecting process equipment and piping systems.
  • Learn about the interpretation of the integral role of practical inspection in determining the state of equipment/piping.
  • Understand risk-based inspection methodology and its practical application.
  • Apply fitness-for-service assessment methodologies, reducing the chance of failure and downtime and enhancing plant performance.
  • Learn about awareness of industry codes, standards, and best practices in plant integrity management, including conducting efficient inspections, maintenance, and repairs on process equipment/piping.

Course Content:

Unit 1: Inspection of the Backbone of Plant Integrity:

  • Learn about the significance of inspection throughout the life cycle.
  • Inspection and understand why? What? Where? How? when?
  • The objective function of inspection.
  • Regulatory requirements.
  • Impact on plant integrity, safety, reliability, and business performance.
  • Inspect the construction codes.
  • Manufacture, fabrication, and repair/alteration deficiencies.
  • QA/QC requirements in fabrication and welding.
  • ASME BPVC requirements - examination vs. inspection.
  • ASME code case 2235-3 is for the use of ultrasonic examination instead of radiography.
  • Learn about fraudulent/substandard materials in the code construction.
  • Understand degradation and damage mechanisms affecting pressure equipment and piping.
  • Overview of API 571 - damage mechanisms affecting fixed equipment in the refining industry.
  • Learn about Areas of vulnerability in petroleum refineries.
  • Injection points.
  • Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI).
  • Soil-to-air interface.
  • Integrity of structures and supports.
  • In-service inspection - the big picture.
  • Non-intrusive inspections.
  • Shutdown inspections.
  • Inspector qualification and competence.
  • API inspector certification.
  • API Body of Knowledge.

Unit 2: Inspection Strategies, Plans, Methods, and Techniques:

  • Inspection strategies and systems.
  • Learn about external and internal inspections and their limitations, costs, and benefits.
  • Inspection plans and procedures.
  • Statutory requirements.
  • Risk-Based Inspection (RBI).
  • Fundamentals and benefits.
  • Overview of API RP 580 - risk-based inspection.
  • Overview of API RP 581 - risk-based inspection technology.
  • Nondestructive testing (NDT).
  • Understand highlights of main NDT methods and their application.
  • Overview of ASME BPVC Section V - nondestructive examination.
  • Advanced inspection techniques and best practices.
  • Guided wave ultrasonic long-range inspection.
  • Advance phased array for weld inspection.
  • On-line monitoring - sensors typically used are strain gauges, thermocouples, displacement transducers, and pressure transducers.

Unit 3: Inspection Codes Standards and Best Practices:

  • Pressure vessel inspection - API 572 and API 510.
  • Learn about fired boilers and heaters inspection.
  • API 573 - inspection of fired boilers and heaters.
  • ABSA AB 507 - guidelines for the inspection of installed fired heaters.
  • FTIS - furnace tube inspection system (quest TruTec).
  • Inspection of heat exchanger, condenser and fin fan, and cooler tubes.
  • Aboveground storage tank inspection.
  • ANSI/API RP 575 - guidelines and methods for inspection of existing atmospheric and low-pressure storage tanks, second edition.
  • STI SP001 is the standard for inspection of aboveground storage tanks.
  • API 653 - tanks inspection, repair, alteration, and reconstruction.
  • API 12R1, setting, maintenance, inspection, operation, and repair of tanks in production service.
  • Piping and components inspection.
  • API 574 - inspection practices for piping system components.
  • API 570 - piping inspection code: In-service inspection, repair, and alteration of piping systems.
  • Learn about pressure-relieving devices - code and regulatory requirements and best practices.
  • API RP 576 - inspection of pressure-relieving devices.
  • Pressure testing - code requirements and best practices.
  • Hydrostatic testing.
  • Pneumatic testing.
  • API standard 936 - refractory installation quality control guidelines - inspection and testing monolithic refractory linings and materials.
  • API inspector certification.

Unit 4: Evaluation and Analysis of Inspection Data:

  • Inspection data verification and evaluation.
  • Data completeness.
  • Data quality.
  • Learn about data management and risk assessment.
  • Inspection Data Management System (IDMS).
  • Understand software systems for managing and assessing inspection data.
  • Corrosion rate calculations.
  • Remain life calculations.
  • Learn about Fitness-For-Service (FFS) assessment and remaining life determination.
  • Understand fundamentals and industry practices.
  • Overview of API Std 579-1/ASME FFS-1.
  • Learn about the Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair (IMR) plan.
  • Appropriate mitigation activities.

Unit 5: Repair and Alteration of Process Equipment and Piping:

  • Repair codes, standards, and best practices - API 510, 570, 653.
  • API 578 Positive material identification (PMI).
  • Learn about post-construction codes and an overview of ASME PCC-2.
  • Repairs and modifications.
  • Temporary and permanent repairs.
  • Weld repairs – ASME BPVC IX.
  • Mechanical repairs.
  • Learn about specialized repair methods - composites.
  • Learn about hot tapping and line stop - key considerations, practices, and procedures.
  • API 2201 - Safe hot tapping practices in the petroleum and petrochemical industries.
  • Rerating.
  • Assess the need for rerating.
  • Minimum required thickness determination.
  • MAWP determination.
  • Authorization and registration.

Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt)
17 - 28 Nov 2024
9000 Euro
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
24 Nov - 05 Dec 2024
8500 Euro
Casablanca (Morocco)
25 Nov - 06 Dec 2024
8500 Euro
Dubai (UAE)
01 - 12 Dec 2024
8500 Euro
Dubai (UAE)
08 - 12 Dec 2024
8500 Euro
Lisbon (Portugal)
16 - 27 Dec 2024
9500 Euro
Cairo (Egypt)
29 Dec 2024 - 09 Jan 2025
6500 Euro
Amman (Jordan)
12 - 23 Jan 2025
6000 Euro
Dubai (UAE)
26 Jan - 06 Feb 2025
8500 Euro
Amman (Jordan)
02 - 13 Feb 2025
6000 Euro
Manama (Bahrain)
09 - 20 Feb 2025
8000 Euro
Online
09 - 20 Feb 2025
5200 Euro
Barcelona (Spain)
10 - 21 Feb 2025
10500 Euro
Rome (Italy)
24 Feb - 07 Mar 2025
10500 Euro
London (UK)
10 - 21 Mar 2025
9500 Euro
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
10 - 21 Mar 2025
9500 Euro
Cairo (Egypt)
23 Mar - 03 Apr 2025
6500 Euro
Istanbul (Turkey)
23 Mar - 03 Apr 2025
9000 Euro
Madrid (Spain)
24 Mar - 04 Apr 2025
9500 Euro
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
20 Apr - 01 May 2025
8500 Euro
Vienna (Austria)
28 Apr - 02 May 2025
10500 Euro
Barcelona (Spain)
05 - 16 May 2025
10500 Euro
Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt)
11 - 22 May 2025
9000 Euro
Milan (Italy)
12 - 23 May 2025
10500 Euro
London (UK)
02 - 13 Jun 2025
9500 Euro
Madrid (Spain)
02 - 13 Jun 2025
9500 Euro
Brussels (Belgium)
16 - 27 Jun 2025
9500 Euro
Paris (France)
23 Jun - 04 Jul 2025
9500 Euro
Barcelona (Spain)
14 - 25 Jul 2025
10500 Euro
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
20 - 31 Jul 2025
8500 Euro
Online
20 - 31 Jul 2025
5200 Euro
Geneva (Switzerland)
21 Jul - 01 Aug 2025
12500 Euro
Istanbul (Turkey)
03 - 14 Aug 2025
9000 Euro
London (UK)
11 - 22 Aug 2025
9500 Euro
Munich (Germany)
11 - 22 Aug 2025
9500 Euro
Rome (Italy)
01 - 12 Sep 2025
10500 Euro
Amsterdam (Netherlands)
01 - 12 Sep 2025
9500 Euro
Paris (France)
15 - 26 Sep 2025
9500 Euro
Manama (Bahrain)
28 Sep - 09 Oct 2025
8000 Euro
Vienna (Austria)
29 Sep - 10 Oct 2025
10500 Euro

Oil and Gas Engineering Training Courses
Process Plant Equipment Integrity: Inspection, Evaluation, & Repair Techniques for Piping (EO)

 

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