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

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

3. 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

4. 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 wasn’t sensitive to the damage mechanism after the inspection was complete  wondered why a technique worked better at the demonstration

5. 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

6. 1995

7. 2006

8.  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

9. 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

10. 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, MOC’s, etc.  There is no end in sight, the oil industry in Alberta will spend approximately $40 Billion in 2006

11. 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  Don’t select a technique just because it’s new!  Confirm results using another technique wherever possible

12. Maximizing Results  Audit jobs while they are going on, verify qualifications, verify the written procedure  Verify minimum flaw sizes, resolution, signal to noise ratio’s, cleaning requirements  Review reports as soon as they are received, don’t 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

13. 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  Don’t 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

14. The Results Puzzle

15. 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

16. 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

17.  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. Conclusions

18. Questions?