In the last decade and still, oil companies are engaging in the construction of massive projects to meet the worldwide demand of the oil and energy industries. The integrity of these new projects is critical to avoid short- or long-term impacts on energy supply.
During projects, thousands of welds of various sizes and specifications are fabricated. The quality of these welds, on pipelines, pipelines and other structural components, depends largely on methods of NDT inspection (Non Destructive Testing), such as radiographic and ultrasonic.
To avoid delays in project execution, there are technologies, processes and requirements that must be met within the inspection program. Technologies such as computerized radiography, digital manometer and digital concrete maturity meter are essential to control and complete projects on time and within budget.
Computed radiography (CR)
Computed Radiography is the digital replacement for conventional film radiography. This technology offers multiple advantages: it eliminates the use of hazardous chemicals, dramatically improves image quality and reduces the time required for its production.
Digital images can be transferred electronically, shared between different locations and stored in the cloud, facilitating archiving and retrieval. It also improves inspection quality and interpretation, while increasing safety by reducing worker exposure time.
Digital pressure gauge (DPG)
The Digital Pressure Gauge provides significant improvements in quality control by allowing remote measurement of equipment pressure and providing historical pressure trends. This is key in geographically distributed projects where it is difficult to monitor pressure equipment such as heat exchangers and pressure vessels during inspection, operation and maintenance.
This device allows continuous and remote monitoring from shipment to the commissioning phase of the equipment.
Digital concrete maturity meter (DCM)
The Digital Concrete Maturity Meter is a non-destructive wireless technology that allows monitoring the strength and temperature development of concrete over time. The system uses a small sacrificial sensor, which is placed on a rebar and embedded in the concrete.
This sensor collects temperature data and wirelessly transmits it to mobile devices, where concrete strength is automatically calculated. Results can be viewed in real time via mobile applications or cloud platforms, which include smart notification features to facilitate project monitoring.
These inspection technologies can be deployed at projects and operating facilities and found to be capable to speed up project construction and improve quality. They support corporate digital transformation and circular economy initiatives.
This article was developed by specialist Salah AlZahrani and published as part of the fourth edition of Inspenet Brief magazine December 2024, dedicated to technical content in the energy and industrial sector.