NDT in the Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry has a history of fatal accidents, with drilling industry having a fatality rate seven times higher than for all US workers. That is why the industry doesn’t compromise when it comes to equipment standards and maintenance. It always operates on stringent norms to ensure workplace safety. Various safety norms, procedures and techniques were henceforth developed to protect workers from harm and ensure their safety. One such technique is Non-Destructive Testing (NDT).

Used as a descriptive term, NDT refers to a set of methods employed to examine materials and component in such a way that provides material examination without changing or destroying their usefulness. Such a technique can be used to identify and size the surface and subsurface flaws and defects.

NDT is often used as a Quality Assurance management tool, necessary to reassure the safety and reliability of equipment used in the oil and gas industry. Applications of NDT can be found in oil platforms, refineries, pipelines, power stations, airplanes, space shuttles, motor vehicles, and so on. These are all inspected using NDT methods. The materials which fail to meet the NDT tests also fail to achieve what they were designed for. They are also prone to survive less than their projected life due to undetected defects which later on becomes fatal. Modern day NDT methods can be used in all stages of equipment life, be it manufacturing, fabrication or in-service. This results in product integrity and reliability as well as the control over manufacturing processes to lower production costs, while maintaining a uniform quality level. The most frequently used test methods in NDT are Magnetic Particle Testing (MT), Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT), Radiographic Testing (RT), Ultrasonic Testing (UT), Electromagnetic Testing (ET) and Visual Testing (VT).

That being said, let’s take a look at some of the companies who have been successfully providing NDT services to the oil and gas industry, saving millions in repair and replacement:

NDT Global Inc – One of the leading suppliers of ultrasonic pipeline inspection and data analysis around the globe, NDT Global Inc is a major NDT service provider company. The firm provides varied solutions in the form of Pipeline Crack Inspection, Pipeline Corrosion Inspection, Pipeline Integrity Assessment, and so on. NDT Global boasts a team of skilled engineers and project managers, with one of the best data analysis teams in the industry. The US-based company has years of experience in providing services related to NDT and is thereby reflected in its work.

Advantage NDT Supplies Ltd – Canada-based, Advantage NDT is another company widely regarded for its NDT inspection services. Founded in 2008, the firm offers solutions like Ultrasonics, Hardness Testers, Magnetic Particle & Liquid Penetrant Inspection, Surface Roughness Tester, Coating Gauges & Holiday Detectors, NDT Film Viewer, Remote Visual Inspection and so on. The firm has a vast catalogue of services that come under NDT inspection.

TesTex NDT India Pvt Ltd – US-based TesTex is a global leader when it comes to providing services of Electro-magnetic Non-Destructive Testing. TesTex established its subsidiary in India as TesTex NDT India Pvt. Ltd. in the year 2001. The firm has a number of techniques in its portfolio such as Low Frequency Electromagnetic Technique, Remote Field Electromagnetic Technique, Eddy Current Technique, Balanced Field Electromagnetic Technique and many others.

Morgan Ward – Almost five decade old Morgan Ward is widely known for its NDT services. The firm offers an extensive range of NDT methods and procedures for all kinds of industries. Morgan Ward has been approved by a number of sources such as CAA, FAA, NADCAP and others for its services and the quality they provide. Having a diverse portfolio, Morgan Ward provides services like Bond Testing, Dye Penetrant Testing, Eddy Current Testing, ELCH Testing, Ultrasonic Inspection, Thermography Inspection, and Visual Inspection.

Various techniques are currently available in the market to detect flaws in the equipment used across the oil and gas industry. NDT has, however, really stood apart when it comes to accurately measuring the defects in equipment and materials which often go undetected through other tests. The above-mentioned companies have been delivering satisfactory results, having a diverse portfolio of NDT techniques. It won’t be wrong to say that the oil and gas industry will reap huge benefits of deploying NDT services across all its operations.

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