Optional Training Courses - 2026 Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit

Introduction to Welding Processes and Metallurgy for Refineries and Petrochemical Plants
Instructor: Kurtis Bell, Apave America

This four-hour course provides background information on the arc welding processes typically used in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries (GTAW, SMAW, GMAW, FCAW/MCAW). It highlights the advantages and drawbacks of each process. It also provides background on how the properties of the materials being welded are impacted during fabrication. The course’s primary focus is the welding of carbon steels for pressure applications (e.g., ASME VIII and B31.3 codes of construction). However, welding of stainless steel in corrosive and high-temperature services is also discussed.

RBI the Game: An Interactive RBI Simulation for Strategic Asset Integrity Management
Instructor: Justin Daarud, Cognascents

"RBI the GameTM" is an effective tool to promote API 580: Risk-Based Inspection program awareness among facility personnel and management alike, and foster cross-functional collaboration between the Engineering, Inspections, Maintenance, Operations, Safety, and Management teams. The game demonstrates the importance of compliance with API 580, and other safety regulations, while also emphasizing the significance of inspection intervals in maintaining Mechanical Integrity. This game facilitates an in-depth discussion of the value of the RBI Game in educating plant personnel of all disciplines on Mechanical Integrity and Risk-Based Inspection and promoting a culture of safety while reliably operating a facility. RBI the GameTM is a facilitated board game that simulates risk management in a fun and interactive way. The game’s mechanics are similar to the challenges of Mechanical Integrity, where plant personnel must decide how to allocate resources to prevent equipment failure and minimize the risks associated with it.

API 653 Tank Inspection 101 (From an Owners/Operators Perspective)
Instructor: Earl Crochet, Crochet Midstream Consulting

Synopsis Understanding history of API 653 and how it is changed; When and What and Why and How to Inspect Tanks; minimum inspections requirements of API 653; Types of Inspections; Types of NDE; Hydrotesting; What has become “standard” inspections in the industry? What “good” inspections looks like; What ‘not so good inspections” look like; How to read inspection reports; New technologies; Q & A

Industrial Tube Inspection: Ensuring a Quality Inspection
Instructor: Sean Hertzog, Foley Specialty Services

Industrial tube inspection covers a broad range of technologies, applications, codes, and standard practices. The average site inspector typically has very little knowledge of the technologies and processes used for a tube inspection performed at their facility. They may have even less knowledge of what they can do to ensure a quality inspection that meets industry standard practices and code requirements was performed. Unfortunately, this results in nearly “Total Control” given to the tube inspection vendor. There is no “Control” of the tube inspection vendor because site inspectors do not have the basic knowledge to oversee the work that is being performed. With some simple tools and education, a site inspector can ensure proper technologies, equipment, and methodologies are being employed for their inspections. At minimum, a site inspector should be able to verify the correct material and specifications are being utilized, understand the strengths and weaknesses of the technology being used, conduct field audits, and know when certain inspection parameters do not meet code requirements.

The objective of this class is to provide the basic knowledge of “what do I need to verify” to ensure the tube testing was performed correctly and in a quality manner. Initially, the site inspector may feel like this is an overwhelming task. The class will demonstrate that tube inspection can be very technical and diverse, however there are only a few “critical” parameters that cannot be omitted or altered. This will be the key element of the presentation. After the class, the participants will not be experts in tube testing, but they will have the tools needed to “Control” and guarantee that the tube testing vendor is performing quality inspections.

The tools, knowledge, and checklists will be provided to enable site inspectors to oversee all tube inspection work and verify if the examination meets code requirements. The class will also supply them with the tools and ability to conduct field audits on their tube testing vendors. This includes knowing what certifications the personnel collecting and analyzing the data on their equipment have or don’t have. Additionally, an informal roundtable discussion with the participants will be conducted to identify their common problems and concerns regarding tube testing.

CML Statistical Analysis
Instructor: Samuel Gauspohl, Accenture

API standards allow for use of statistical methods to analyze CMLs to establish a representative corrosion rate, remaining life, or reinspection dates. However, other than some basic guardrails, no actual method is described and it is left up to the owner operator to decide on methodology and documentation.

For a significant portion of a facility, standard CML analysis and point to point methods are simple and adequate. For complex circuits where the nature of corrosion has high impact or uncertainty, statistical analysis is a useful tool that, with the correct application and approach, can provide valuable insight into risk as well as gaps in the data.

This training will cover two methods of CML statistical analysis. The first method is using simple statistics and distributions to understand wall thickness at discrete points in time. The basic statistical analysis requires simple filtering, establishing a distribution at each point in time, understanding the goodness of fit of the distribution, and comparing over time to draw conclusions on minimum remaining thickness as well as corrosion rate. The second method, Bayesian Analysis, is more complex and requires a broader understanding of statistics, distributions and their interactions. This training will cover building a hierarchical model, selecting statistical distributions, and how different aspects of inspection such as type of thickness measurement, inspection discipline, in addition to an endless possibility of potential factors can feed into a wholistic statistical model that a computer can solve, as well as where some of these analyses may go wrong. This training will give several examples and provide pseudo-code to explain the algorithms.

This training contains advanced level content that requires familiarity with statistics and statistical tools. It is targeted at inspectors and engineers who work with a large number of CMLs.

Tanks 101 (From an Owners/Operators Perspective)
Instructor: Earl Crochet, Crochet Midstream Consulting

Synopsis: History of Tanks; Why there are construction and repair Standards? Regulations – Federal/State/Local; How are tanks constructed? Types of tanks, roofs, and seals; Tank Level Definitions; Tank Breathing and Venting; Fire Protection issues; Tank Gauging and Alarms; New Technologies; Safety Topics Around Tanks - Confined Space Entry, Atmospheric Monitoring, Floating Roof Safety, Tank Cleaning, PPE, Return to Service; Q&A

From Procedure to Program - Reviewing the Elements of World Class Mechanical Integrity Programs
Instructor: Matt Caserta, Becht

This training will provide an overview of the various elements that comprise a facility’s mechanical integrity (MI) program. It will discuss how inspection practices, damage mechanism identification, integrity operating windows, corrosion control documents, material selection, fitness for service, and inspection management all work together to achieve the common goal of preventing loss of containment. While each individual element is important to reduce risk, connecting the programs together enables a facility to maximize effectiveness and efficiency. The critical touch points to facility workgroups outside of MI will also be discussed. This training is built to provide a crash course in MI practices to integrity newcomers, whether they be inspectors wanting to hone their knowledge, new engineers, or incoming managers that are new to the MI sector.

Introduction to CCDs and IOWs
Instructor: Abbey Wing & Nick Mangiapane, Becht

This training course will introduce the concepts of Corrosion Control Documents (CCDs) and Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs). The course will cover how a CCD and IOW program fit into a site’s overall mechanical integrity program. A review of content and requirements of API 970 – Corrosion Control Documents and API 584 – Integrity Operating Windows will provide a basis for attendees to begin their own programs. Finally, the course will cover a guide for implementing these types of programs within a facility and provide examples of both CCDs and IOWs. This course is targeted toward Inspectors, Reliability Engineers, Corrosion/Materials Engineers, and Integrity Managers. The information is applicable to refining, petrochemical, chemical, ammonia/syngas, and other process industries.

Cultivating Tomorrow's MI Leaders: A Proven Model for Developing Young Professionals
Instructor: Cassandra Moody, Time For Change Engineering

As the pipeline industry workforce shifts towards seasoned professionals entering retirement and junior engineers stepping up to the duty of care for the industry, the education, training, and competency assurance of individuals in facilitating the transition to a younger workforce entrusted with ensuring public safety around pipelines becomes increasingly critical. However, the demands of job duties and operational responsibilities often overshadow the development of young and mid-career professionals. This paper examines the current state of the midstream workforce and the challenges it faces within the industry. It presents a case study featuring fifteen years of proven continuous improvement results that have benefited young professionals, employers, the industry, and public safety. An overview of the evolving young professional development framework serves as the starting point, which will be expanded upon by examining the gap between graduates and workplace skills, offering considerations for developing individuals within companies, and providing suggestions for standardization in competency assurance across the industry. The role of companies, industry organizations, and educational facilities will be evaluated. The role of qualification and training, regulatory considerations, and implementation challenges will be highlighted to provide insights into the practical hurdles and opportunities associated with adapting to the evolving workforce and developing new strategies to meet the demands of safe operation.

Topics of Discussion:

Workforce transition
Overview
Generational analysis
Related industries
- Early career professional development framework
Bridging the gap following graduation
Technical development
Essential soft-skills
Leveraging technology
Career planning
- Perspectives and Roles
Individual
Company
Industry
Public safety
Educational institutions
Regulatory considerations (192.915, 195.452, OQ Rules, Contractor qualifications, and Recordkeeping)
- Success stories
- Practical implementation considerations

API Bolted Joints: The Key Inspection Points
Instructor: Andy Smith, VSP Technologies

Bolted flange joint (BFJ) acumen is typically learned on the job and not taught. Most individuals have learned bolted concepts through on the job training. Unfortunately, the industry has relied heavily on the trusty “ball-peen” hammer to verify if a BJF has been properly assembled. However, there is much more that Inspectors can do to ensure that the assembly of the BFJ has gone to specification.

This training course will concentrate on how and what Inspectors assemblers and engineering should look for and certain key inspection points to understand if the BFJ is assembled correctly.

These include but are not limited to: flange alignment, thread engagement significance, lubrication, bolt yield, new bolts vs used bolts, gasket selection criteria (and why it’s important), Powered Equipment, calibrations of tooling, importance of gasket stress, bolting patterns, and others.

Fired Heater Burner Inspection and Maintenance
Instructor: Louis Pasnik, Becht Engineering

API RP 573 covers inspection of fired boilers and heaters but has minimal guidance on inspection of burners. The target audience of this training session are those in reliability, inspection, or maintenance roles who are responsible for fired heater and burner reliability & maintenance. There has been an increasing trend of combustion related fired heater incidents in North America, and this training is envisioned to empower end users and contractors alike (introductory, intermediate, and advanced) to ensure proper burner operation and maintenance. The training is intended to be burner supplier neutral, thus covering most typical burner types found in North American fired heaters.

Ultrasonic Testing at High Temperatures
Instructor: Tim Stevenson, Ionix Advanced Technologies

This high-temperature UT masterclass is a specialized training course focused on performing ultrasonic testing on surfaces at elevated temperatures. Providing expertise in techniques, safety, and calibration to achieve accurate, repeatable inspections of assets found in downstream, energy and petrochemical service. This masterclass covers high-temperature damage mechanisms, the effects of temperature on material properties, and the use of high-temperature transducers and couplants, delivered by industry experts.

The content utilizes API definitions and covers industry standards like ASTM E797 and ISO 16809, and best practices for working in high-temperature environments.

Participants will learn about common damage mechanisms, such as sufidation, and the influence of high temperatures on material properties, and the methods for calibrating and compensating for making reliable high-temperature UT measurements, with examples specifically for on-stream corrosion and erosion surveys. The course offers hands-on practice with participants able to bring their own UT equipment and calibration blocks, to leave knowing how to deploy the same industrial standard equipment for high-temperature inspections. Who It's For: Technicians, inspectors and supervisors at all levels who need to perform, validate or report inspections on hot surfaces.

API 580 and 581: Applying Risk-Based Inspection to Mechanical Integrity Programs
Instructor: Rob Sladek, Sladek Asset Integrity, LLC

Inspection specialists play a critical role in maintaining the reliability, safety, and compliance of fixed equipment assets. Traditional condition-based inspection programs, though familiar, often lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities to prevent high-consequence failures. The API 580 and API 581 Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) standards provide a structured framework to prioritize inspection efforts based on quantitative and qualitative methods to assess risk. This session demonstrates how the principles of API 580 (focused on governance, methodology, and risk communication) combine with the detailed modeling approaches of API 581 to create a robust, data-driven foundation for inspection planning. Attendees will gain an understanding of how risk quantification, damage mechanism identification, and probability-of-failure modeling translate into optimized inspection strategies that improve asset performance while maintaining regulatory compliance.

From an inspection perspective, this session highlights the vital role of inspectors in ensuring data quality, validating degradation models, and applying field knowledge to refine risk assessments. Common challenges such as residual risk, inspection effectiveness, and updating the assessment to sustain RBI programs will also be discussed. Participants will leave with practical insights to implement API 580 and 581 principles within their own programs: empowering them to lead the transition from condition-based inspection to proactive, risk-informed mechanical integrity management.

Damage and Assessment of Equipment made from FRP
Instructor: Geoff Clarkson, UTComp Inc

Intended target audience: inspectors, engineers

Design and construction codes for Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) vessels, storage tanks and piping are now well-established and in use worldwide. Every existing standards applies factors of safety to mechanical properties of the new mixture of reinforcement and polymer. In service, damage to FRP causes changes to the mechanical properties. The flaws and defects that inform us about these changes are completely and radically different from what is expected for metal alloys - introducing new requirements for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE), inspector certification and Assessment.

This training session will introduce inspection and evaluation of FRP that detects this damage and then applies this information to assess Fitness For Service. These methods are in the upcoming Part 16 of API 579. Examples will be provided and worked to show the scope of inspection and assessment. The NDE data from the examples will then be applied to determine FFS and remaining life.

PCC-2: Overview of the Standard
Instructor: Brent Ray, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Kelly Schupp, The Equity Engineering Group & Trevor Berry, Becht

ASME PCC-2 has established itself as a repair document that complements in-service equipment found in need of repair. API and the NBIC reference it for this reason. The ASME PCC-2 Subcommittee has developed a short course to review the document and provide examples of using the information contained in the articles. This training will provide the attendees with that information as an aid in utilizing the document.

API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service
Instructor: Brian Macejko, Equity Engineering

Learn the tremendous value that Fitness-for-Service (FFS) technology provides in this introductory training course, designed to immerse you in the principles and application of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1. With a focus on the most commonly used parts of API 579, this course delivers an overview of the knowledge and insights needed to make informed run-repair-replace decisions and optimize future inspections.

Guided by the current Chair of the API/ASME Joint Committee on Fitness-For-Service, Brian Macejko, you'll delve into the fundamentals and technical basis of the assessment procedures. You will learn the importance of each step in the FFS process, including:

Damage mechanism identification
Applicability and limitations
Data requirements
Assessment techniques and acceptance criteria
Remaining life assessments
Remediation and in-service monitoring options

Fired Heater Integrity Optimization Management
Instructor: Timothy Hill, Quest Integrity USA LLC

This one-day course is designed for engineers, operators, maintenance, inspectors, safety, and training personnel working with or responsible for integrity issues associated with fired heaters.

Fired Heater Integrity Optimization Management helps attendees learn the science of optimizing reliability and performance factors that affect tube integrity management of fired heaters and reformers. This course applies the essential theories, such as IOW, RBI, etc., provided in the API Standards and Recommended Practices and practical approaches to fired heater monitoring to evaluate operating risk, damage mechanisms, failure analysis, safety, fitness-for-service and remaining life of critical components. Learn the necessary elements to inspect and maintain fired heaters using best practices that minimize risk, minimize shutdown work, and maximize performance.

Pipeline Defect Assessment
Instructor: Michael Turnquist, Quest Integrity

The ability to appropriately assess the integrity of the various types of defects that may be identified on a pipeline is a critical component of an effective pipeline integrity management program. This course will follow the outline below:

Metal Loss Assessment

Categorization
Assessment methodologies
Corrosion growth analysis
Corrosion intersecting a longitudinal seam weld (selective seam weld corrosion, SSWC)

Crack Assessment

Fracture mechanics overview
Fracture models
Crack growth analysis, both fatigue and environmental (stress corrosion cracking, SCC)

Dent Assessment

Characterization
Dent management per API 1183
Combined anomalies (i.e., dents with mela loss or gouges)

Other Threats

Geohazards and pipeline bending strain analysis
Circumferentially-oriented defects
Laminations