Since before the industrial revolution, our world has been and continues to be powered by fossil fuels like oil and gas. What’s more, oil and gas are not only used to power the world, but also to create many of the products used by consumers around the globe everyday. Certainly, this is an industry that requires extensive oversight to function in a manner that is highly productive and protects the safety of consumers.
This is precisely where nondestructive testing comes in. Here, we’ll explore how NDT supports the critical operations of the oil and gas industry. Here’s everything you need to know.
The oil and gas industry is closely monitored for a wide variety of reasons. On one hand, fossil fuels can be very detrimental to the environment and all materials transferring large quantities of gas and oil are sensitive instruments. While many in the oil and gas industry are working to ensure that appropriate uses of fossil fuels are reducing their environmental impact, oil and gas professionals remain constantly aware of the need to defend their assets (and the environment) against larger failures that can lead to tragedies such as oil spills, gas leaks, and devastating fires.
Nondestructive testing is used in the oil and gas industry to promote safety for field technicians, consumers, and the environment.
The oil and gas industry requires the safe operation of many large and expensive assets, like pipelines and oil rigs. According to Energy Dais, the fatality rate in the drilling industry is seven times higher than any other field. Because of this, there is a strict set of norms and procedures that must be followed to the letter to protect against disaster. One of the primary means of maintaining safety is through nondestructive testing.
Nondestructive testing is vital to the oil and gas industry because NDT methods are precise and noninvasive. Nondestructive testing is one component of quality assurance within the oil and gas field that can help to support the daily operations of pipeline and rig workers without causing any damage to the expensive equipment used in the field. Technicians are able to catch flaws before there are larger issues that could cause catastrophic issues as well as costing millions of dollars in asset repairs.
Additionally, nondestructive testing and the quality assurance it provides helps to support the full lifecycle of an asset and protect the financial investments of those in the oil and gas industry.
While many different methods can be used for quality assurance used in the oil and gas industry, some of the most common are magnetic particle testing, visual testing, ultrasonic testing, and liquid penetrant testing, to name a few. Magnetic particle testing is an excellent choice due to its low cost and ease of inspection. Visual testing is best for large flaws and requires little equipment. Liquid penetrant testing can be used on many materials in the gas and oil industry. All are excellent options, depending on your assets’ needs. An experienced technician will know exactly what to do. And all of these methods are performed by a qualified technician with ample hands-on experience in nondestructive testing. Since countless people rely on the safe daily operation of the oil and gas industry, it is crucial that NDT technicians working in this field are highly skilled.
TXDNT’s training methods are truly a cut above the rest. We make sure that each technician we train is fully prepared to enter the workforce, with mastery of all of the most important NDT methods.
Since the requirements of an NDT technician can change from job to job, the expert instructors at TXNDT ensure that all prospective technicians are qualified to take on whatever their next job throws at them.
From introductory NDT courses to NDT level 3 certification, we take an active approach to educating all of our students and encourage all prospective technicians to take an active role in their own learning.
If you or your staff are looking for ways to expand your skills and broaden your career opportunities through nondestructive testing courses, consider NDT certification.
But don’t trust just any NDT school. If you’re looking for a top-tier experience, give us a call today at 281-231-0001 or check out our website for more information.
