Emerging NDE and the Plant Inspector

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Emerging NDE and the Plant Inspector
IPEIA Conference - Banff 2006
Mark Koens, C.E.T. Petro-Canada
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Acknowledgments

• Dr. Richard V. Murphy, Natural Resources Canada,
  NDT Certifying Agency
• Dwain Teed, Petro-Canada

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Overview

• The problem
• Where NDE was 10 years ago
• Where NDE is today
• How to maximize results
• Where will NDE be in the future
• Conclusions
• Questions

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Have You Ever

• received the results from an NDE inspection and
  found the results were inconclusive
• had a job done but later discovered a better
  technique
• found out that the chosen NDE technique wasnt
  sensitive to the damage mechanism after the
  inspection was complete
• wondered why a technique worked better at the
  demonstration

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10 Years Ago

• Datalogging was a recent development for UT
• CR, RFT, TOFD, ACFM, EMAT, AUBT, Phased Array,
  Guided Wave and many other techniques were
  available but rarely used
• Knowledgeable, qualified inspectors were
  plentiful
• Techniques were fairly easily understood by the
  average visual inspector
• Reliability and safety received lower focus

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1995
7

2006
8

2006

• NDE has realized gains from the computer and
  medical industries
• The average inspector is 44, this is 5 years
  older than just 10 years ago
• Inspectors are in high demand, positions remain
  unfilled
• The drive for safe, reliable operation is key to
  corporate success
• The pressure to perform inspections outside of
  turnaround windows is increasing, on-stream
  inspections are common

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2006

• NDE techniques are providing ever increasing
  amounts of information
• NDE techniques are more skill dependant
• Fewer plant inspectors are becoming NDE certified
• NDE information sessions and short courses are
  becoming common
• There is a greater understanding of damage
  mechanisms, RBI programs are being implemented
• Visual inspectors are increasingly having to rely
  on vendors or third party inspectors for NDE
  advice

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2006

• NDE costs are rising quickly, up approximately
  300 over a ten year period
• NDE vendors have established Advanced Groups to
  apply new techniques and hired Senior Visual
  Inspectors
• Time between turnarounds is increasing
• Non-inspection requirements are increasing,
  meetings, HAZOPS, MOCs, etc.
• There is no end in sight, the oil industry in
  Alberta will spend approximately 40 Billion in
  2006

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Maximizing Results

• Improve your computer skills
• Plan jobs with the vendor well in advance
• Get trained in NDE techniques, take courses,
  attend conferences, seminars, ask questions, know
  limitations
• Evaluate techniques on non-critical jobs
• Re-evaluate techniques as advancements are made
• Dont select a technique just because its new!
• Confirm results using another technique wherever
  possible

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Maximizing Results

• Audit jobs while they are going on, verify
  qualifications, verify the written procedure
• Verify minimum flaw sizes, resolution, signal to
  noise ratios, cleaning requirements
• Review reports as soon as they are received,
  dont accept reports which are not complete or
  contain errors
• Provide all available information to the NDE
  vendor when planning the job, give any reasonable
  assistance
• Share feedback

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Maximizing Results

• Be wary of Grey Zone applications
• Understand that what you consider to be a minor
  variable could have a major impact on results
• Automate routine tasks wherever possible
• Dont expect that a single technique will work
  for a variety of applications, usually a
  specialized technique is only effective for
  certain applications
• Have major NDE jobs overseen by an inspector
  knowledgeable in the method used
• Question vendors who claim to be the only company
  who can do something

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The Results Puzzle
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10 Years from Now

• Tolerance of failures will lead to increased NDE
• Safety, reliability, and the need for
  non-intrusive inspections will fuel the demand
  for emerging NDE technologies
• The number of CGSB certified technicians will be
  at 1996 levels or lower, various groups have
  predicted levels 25 to 50 percent lower than what
  are required, The average inspector will be about
  48
• There will be pressure to reduce escalating
  inspection costs and increase the reliability of
  results

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10 Years from Now

• There will be a widened gap between visual and
  NDE inspectors
• NDT will be a managed resource within large
  organizations
• Researching and approving inspection techniques
  will likely become a central task for most
  organizations
• The Chief Inspector will likely oversee NDE, but
  will rely on others to select and co-ordinate

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Conclusions

• The use of a well selected, planned, and executed
  NDE technique is one of the most valuable tools
  available to achieve safety and reliability.
• The use of a poorly selected, planned, or
  executed technique is worse than performing no
  inspection at all.
• Cost effective use of NDE technology demands
  knowledgeable and engaged plant personnel.

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Questions?