Risk Based Inspection of Composite Components in Oil and Gas Industry

The aim of technical inspection activities is to ensure all components are working in a safe condition. Approaches in technical inspection turn to cost effective and much reliable strategies such as inspections based on the level of the risk of the components. Risk based inspection (RBI) is the process of developing a scheme of inspection based on knowledge of the risk of failure. RBI procedure is the combination of an assessment of the probability of failure due to flaws damage, deterioration or degradation in conjunction with an assessment of the consequences of such failures. RBI helps to increase the safety of the processing unit, reduce the costs, and improve environmental protection. Now the RBI procedure is the core of many inspection strategies in the oil and gas industry. However, the application of RBI in non-metallic components is rarely studied. In this paper, the risk assessment of the GRE/GRP components is investigated. Composite components are extensively using in water (includes deposit water, waste water, and wash water) systems. Through this study, different failure mechanisms in composite components are discussed. The results of RBI method indicated that composite components should be inspected within the second year after the start of the service. Because of the low and medium overall risk of the components, a visual inspection shall be performed in three/five years’ duration for non-metallic piping and tanks.