You can't fix what you can't see
Pipelines fail because corrosion went undetected — not because anyone forgot how to coat them. By the time a leak makes itself visible, internal wall thickness has often dropped below operational safety margins for months. Our corrosion detection service is designed to find degradation while it's still actionable.
What we measure
- Wall thickness — ultrasonic (UT) measurement at scheduled intervals or 100% scanning
- Coating disbondment — DCVG and CIPS surveys for buried pipelines
- External corrosion rate — coupon installation and retrieval, MIC bacteria sampling
- Internal corrosion rate — internal-camera surveys, wall-thickness UT, ER probe data
- Cathodic protection performance — close-interval potential surveys (CIPS), interrupter tests
- Coating integrity — holiday surveys at 5-25 kV depending on coating type
- Weld defect detection — radiographic, magnetic-particle, ultrasonic phased array
Inspection methods we deploy
Non-destructive testing (NDT)
Ultrasonic thickness gauging, phased-array UT, radiography, magnetic-particle inspection, dye penetrant. All operators ASNT-Level-II or above certified.
Coating surveys
DCVG (direct-current voltage gradient) and CIPS (close-interval potential survey) for buried pipelines. Holiday detection for above-ground or pre-installation pipe.
Internal inspection
Camera surveys for accessible internal lines. Coordination with pigging contractors for in-line inspection (ILI) including MFL, UT and caliper tools.
Cathodic protection assessment
On/off potential measurements, interrupter tests, anode bed evaluation, soil resistivity surveys.
Lab analysis
Coupon corrosion-rate analysis, deposit composition (XRF/ICP), sour-service H₂S/CO₂ partial-pressure correlation.
Reporting deliverables
Every inspection assignment ends with a written report covering:
- Methodology and equipment used (with calibration certificates)
- Location-coded measurement data (GPS where applicable)
- Defect mapping (size, depth, location)
- Comparison with previous inspection data (where available)
- Remaining-life assessment (RLA) per API 579 / ASME FFS-1
- Recommended corrective actions ranked by priority
Standards and qualifications
- API 570 — piping inspection code (in-service)
- API 579 / ASME FFS-1 — fitness-for-service evaluation
- NACE SP0102 — in-service inspection of pipelines
- NACE SP0207 — DCVG / CIPS surveys
- ASNT SNT-TC-1A — NDT personnel qualification
- ISO 9712 — non-destructive testing personnel qualification
- Operators certified by TÜV, Bureau Veritas, SGS or Lloyd's Register as required
Project FAQs
Can you inspect a pipeline that's currently in service? Yes — most external inspection methods (UT, DCVG, CIPS, holiday surveys) are non-intrusive. For internal inspection of in-service lines, ILI tools deployed by pigging contractors are the standard approach; we coordinate.
Turnaround time on a typical inspection? A single-section external survey: 1-2 days on-site, report within 2 weeks. Comprehensive integrity assessment: 4-8 weeks depending on pipeline length.
Do you provide third-party inspection (TPI) for new construction? Yes — TPI services for pipe coating, mainline-to-FJC continuity, holiday detection on completed pipe. SGS/BV/TÜV co-sign-off available on request.