On June 28, 2012, PRCI sponsored an Open House at its NDE Repository and pipe test sample warehouse Houston, TX, with attendance of more than 100 representatives of PRCI member companies and several of our R&D partners and contractors. The Open House was organized to provide awareness of the efforts being taken by PRCI to establish the world’s foremost facility of real-world, real-size pipeline damage samples. The NDE repository is being maintained to support technology development, NDE inspector training, and an opportunity for pipeline industry professionals to see, observe, and understand the types of features that are routinely addressed in pipeline operators’ integrity management programs.
A poster prepared by PRCI that provides an overview of the NDE Repository and Warehouse.
The Open House included demonstrations of several NDE technologies that used test pipe samples from the repository for a hands-on, direct observation of the technology operations on real pipeline samples. The demonstrations helped to emphasize the value of having access to a library of real-world defects on which technologies can be qualified and/or developed. NDE technologies included in the demonstrations were:
During the Open House, there were a number of suggestions offered by those attending on other opportunities that could be pursued using the repository inventory. Several of these items and opportunities are currently being reviewed by PRCI, including training sessions and workshops on inspection technologies, challenges with NDE measurements of different feature types, and correlating NDE measurements with ILI using samples in the repository.
PRCI expects to sponsor a second Open House in Fall 2012. A separate announcement will be made when the date is finalized.
PRCI wants to acknowledge Oceaneering for supporting the event and providing the warehouse facility and Applus RTD for their efforts in supporting the Open House, including the delivery of the IWEX sensing technology from the Netherlands for the demonstrations. Special thanks go to Mr. Donald McNicol and Mr. Lloyd Nunes of Oceaneering, Mr. Munendra Tomar of Applus RTD/Kiefner, Chris Warner and John VanVolkinburg of Mears Group, and the entire team from Stark Transportation, which provided support on a number of items to prepare for the event and, most importantly, provided an incredible barbeque service. Special thanks also to Mr. John O’Brien of Chevron, whose vision and determination made the NDE Repository and Warehouse a reality.