Profile of a SubSea NDT Engineer

Joshua de Monbrun

SubSea NDT, LLC

Anchorage, AK

(401) 308-3105; email: josh@subseandt.com

MISTRAS Group, Inc.

Diving COE

(907) 229-9472; email: josh.demonbrun@mistrasgroup.com

ABSTRACT

The term “NDE/NDT Engineer” is being used with more frequency across all sectors of our industry, most of which with little similarity in definition. The purpose of this presentation is to define what an NDT Engineer is, highlight the educational and experience backgrounds necessary to become an NDT Engineer, and further on to detail out the specifics in specializing as a SubSea NDT Engineer. Most current definitions of an NDE Engineer are a combination of an engineer and a certified NDT Level III, or in some cases, being miss-applied to positions such as an NDT Level II Technician. This paper aims to not only define what or whom an NDT Engineer is, but also to list out the duties and responsibilities of such, minimum educational and experience requirements, as well as advanced focus areas of the subsea industry an NDE Engineer can choose to specialize in.

Keywords: NDT, engineer, underwater, inspection, asset integrity, subsea, commercial diving, ROV

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

What is a SubSea NDT Engineer? First off, what is an NDT Engineer? The term “engineer” seems to be used loosely in the industry over the past several years. An “engineer” can be someone who drives a train, works on a ship’s engine(s), designs software or programs computers, connects networks or runs a broadcast, now even custodial services. Most of these jobs, are technician positions, which do not require a formal, accredited degree, in a traditional engineering field. To more aptly define “engineer”, for the purposes of this paper, engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build, and test machines, systems, structures and materials to fulfill objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost. Above and beyond this, we will also consider the addition of graduating from an accredited engineering program and membership and accreditation with a recognized engineering council.

So, what is a SubSea NDT Engineer? It’s someone who has a BSc or above in Engineering (sometimes a Science related to engineering is allowed), has significant inspection experience in offshore oil & gas, is fully conversant with all NDT procedures and techniques, and maintains a membership with a recognized institute and accreditation with an engineering council. Such organizations as the American Society of Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT), the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), Engineering Council (EC), National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Order of the Engineer (OE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), or American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Occupational Knowledge

Besides the above basic Technical background, as a foundation for becoming an NDT Engineer, it must also be coupled with years of experience and “Occupational Knowledge”. This means that one cannot simply graduate from a university as an NDT Engineer. It requires a combination of formal education and practical field experience.

This practical field experience, specific to subsea inspection, will include significant experience and understanding with topside and underwater damage mechanisms, inspections techniques, and deployment vehicles. Deployment vehicles are simply a transportation method to get the tool needed to accomplish a task to the location of the area of interest. For subsea work, this includes commercial divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). One does not necessarily need to be formally trained as a commercial diver, or even as an ROV pilot, but it certainly helps! The SubSea NDT Engineer should also have had formal education in material properties, electronic principles, mathematics, chemistry and corrosion analysis, as well as technical project management. Have experience and certifications in Advanced NDT methods such as Electromagnetic Testing, Ultrasonic Testing, Acoustic Emission, Cathodic Protection systems, Computed & Digital Radiography, Guided Wave Ultrasonic, and Pipe Inspection Gauge systems. This will include attaining professional certifications as an NDT Level III from the American Society of Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT) or PCN Level III certification form the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT). A SubSea NDT Engineer must also be very familiar with regulatory and international standards requirements that come from organizations such as American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Petroleum Institute (API), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), American Welding Society (AWS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV GL), etc. Attaining Professional certifications from these organizations in welding and pipeline inspection are also very desirable.

Part of an NDT Engineer’s job is to know both the engineering functions as well as have technical NDT training, on the job experience (OJT), as well as certification. Certification being the written testament to one’s qualifications in a practical manner. Interaction between NDT and other engineering functions, the consequences of failure, and the contribution of NDT to asset management and life extension are the main functions of a NDT Engineer. Most engineers of a system know why and where their components need to be inspected, but not necessarily “how” the inspection should take place, or the best possible technique to use to find the damage mechanisms that are of interest. That’s where the Subject Matter Expert (SME) comes into play, and as a properly trained and certified NDT Technician should know how to inspect a component properly, but not necessarily why it needs to be done. NDT Engineers bridge the gap between being both a competent engineer AND a subject matter expert. They can apply design process, including materials selection, that meet NDT and construction standards, perform root cause analysis, fracture mechanics and failure analysis, and employ learning from experience (LFE) processes.

Attaining experience is good, but one must also apply the experience gained. An NDT Engineer should have advanced skills in NDT methods substantiating their lead competency role within the subsea sector, but also be able to work in ALL sectors, such as aerospace, nuclear, etc. An NDT Engineer must critically apply knowledge of concepts, principles, and theories of developing technology relevant to the interdisciplinary fields of NDT. Analyze engineering problems, selecting and using mathematical and theoretical data to provide suitable NDT solutions with consideration of the entire inspection cycle. And finally, apply engineering knowledge to the development, operation, maintenance, and progression of technologies used for NDT.

APPLICATIONS

Topside/Inland

Yes, SubSea NDT Engineers work topside as well. A vast majority of education, training, and practical experience comes from being applied topside first, before it is modified for use in underwater or subsea environments. We know that a lot of the technology we use in the field of NDT, especially within the Ultrasonic and Radiographic methods, first were introduced and used in the medical field, before being appropriated and modified for use in the industrial applications we are more familiar with here. Same can be said for these technologies then being modified even further for use in underwater environments. Most assets that are in subsea or underwater environments either have or are connected to topside components in some form. Offshore platforms, vessels, ships, barges, risers, pipeline, bridges, docks, berths, above ground storage tanks, water towers, water intake facilities, amusement parks, hydroelectric dams, and yes, even nuclear reactor pools. The list goes on and on. Most importantly though, is for one to have a solid grasp of the technologies and tools available to them topside first, before trying to be effective in utilizing them in a more confined and less accessible habitat. Most of the work underwater is not in nice, clear, warm, tropical locals, but in uncomfortable locations with little to no visibility. A SubSea NDT Engineer needs to master their trade, both above and below the waterline.

Offshore

Offshore oil platforms and pipeline seem to be what first comes to mind when thinking of NDT inspection of subsea or underwater assets. It is a very large industry, the Gulf of Mexico alone holding over 80% of all billable underwater commercial diving hours worldwide. The inspections encompassed therein, are not just your traditional NDT methods. Yes, there are a lot of Visual and Ultrasonic Thickness measurements being performed, even underwater Magnetic Particle inspections (although ACFM is taking over), but in these remote locations, especially in zero-visibility or hard to access environments, Advanced NDT methods have been gradually taking over. This is also the case for use of ROVs, where technology is being implemented to reduce the human factor, not only for increased confidence in acquisition of quality data, but also for reduction in human exposure to dangerous situations. Advanced NDT methods for underwater applications now being seen in the industry include Automated Ultrasonic Testing (AUT), Shear wave and Phased Array Ultrasonic (PAUT) for full volumetric weld inspections as well as corrosion mapping or crack detection and sizing, Electromagnetic Testing techniques such as Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) and Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM), Computed and Digital Radiography (CR/DR), Cathodic Protection and potential readings (CP), Pipe Inspections Gauges (PIG), and advanced sonar, ultrasonic, and acoustic 3D imagining systems.

CHANGES IN THE SUBSEA SECTOR

There is a growing need to change the “status quo” of how underwater or subsea assets have been inspected over the past few decades. For most industries, assets that are underwater are “out of sight, and out of mind”. This is not always the case, but for many years this was true. Today we can see a change has already started. Unfortunately, this drive is partly due to major catastrophic events that often hit the mainstream news. We will not go into any detail on those here.

Subsea assets are naturally in a more invasive and aggressive environment, and their failure can cause significant impact, not only on a company’s bottom line, but also on the environment in which it resides. This would naturally drive more periodic surveillance of said assets, as their failure is more detrimental. Since these assets are in a more hazardous habitat, it would then lead one to believe that it would take a more skilled and experienced technician to conduct such inspections. This is not always the case, in fact, most of these inspections are kicked over to commercial diving companies, deploying a “jack-of-all-trades” diver to perform whatever NDT task is being called for by the Owner. Typically, no one would give a rock-climber an ultrasonic thickness scope and have them climb up their flare tower to take UT thickness readings on a pipeline. Not with without the proper training, documented experience hours, verified qualifications and in-date certifications to do so. Conversely, the industry should not be tossing a UT scope in the hands of a diver to do the same underwater. Diving, ROV piloting, and rope access are not, in themselves, qualifications to perform adequate inspections. They each are simply a vehicle to get the qualified and certified inspector to the location of the work. Often, especially over the past forty years, these types of inspections have been inadequate, and do not supply the type of quality data needed to aptly asses a system’s current performance, simply due to a culture and history of allowing the “underwater guys” to do the underwater work, without holding them to the same standards and practices required for everything else accomplished topside, in full view. If subsea inspections are more difficult to carry out, on assets whose failure are potentially detrimental and/or catastrophic, wouldn’t it seem obvious that we should demand inspections by personnel who are specialized in the utilization of those specific tools and technologies therein?

Case Example:

This is a simple example, and one chosen because it has been seen to be the most widely abused over the years. According to most codes, ultrasonic thickness measurements cannot be accepted by a unit with only a digital thickness readout but must be completed with either a flaw detector or a machine able to produce an ultrasonic A-Scan in conjunction with a digital readout. However, up until recently, the technology available for hand-held, underwater UT thickness scopes, were limited by design to simply a digital thickness display. Most asset owners would also rely on the contractor providing the service that the personnel using the equipment were properly trained and certified. For most, this meant a simple familiarization with the scope, not a full-fledged internal NDT program with written practice, procedures, training and certification exams, etc. Other times, they may simply wave a wand over the diver, magically turning them into an “NDT Trainee”, and walk them through manipulating the tool while underwater on site. This way someone may watch through a video monitor, and guide them through the process, then signing off on an inspection “well done”.

Figure 1.) Diver using UTT scope w/ A-Scan. Figure 2.) Diver using only UTT digital readout.

ORGANIZATIONS LEADING THE CHANGE

Currently, there are no ASNT or BINDT/ PCN guidelines for underwater NDT inspection personnel training or certification. The only organization currently offering training and certification, is from the Certification Scheme for Weldment Inspection Personnel (CSWIP). These schemes include underwater training for Diver Inspectors (3.1u, 3.2u), ROV Inspector (3.3u), and Underwater Inspection Controller (3.4u). Although this is a great start, these training courses are limited to practical use of traditional NDT methods such as visual/tactile, ultrasonic thickness, magnetic particle, video/still photography, and cathodic potential readings. The change is starting, and now a lot of companies are starting to require personnel holding these certifications in order to conduct inspections on their assets. This trend will continue to grow, as will the need for more underwater inspection personnel with advanced inspection training and professional certifications that are internationally accepted and recognized.

There are also now more reference guides being published and used over the past few years, trying to establish guidelines for certain sectors of the industry. The International Institute of Welding (TIIW) published a report in 1999 entitled “Non-Destructive Examination of Underwater Welded Steel Structures” (1). Although the information was very basic, it was able to introduce people to the idea that many traditional NDT methods could be suitably used underwater, for the inspection of welded steel structures. Since then, many more publications have come out with updated information and technologies we can see being used today. “Subsea Pipeline Integrity and Risk Management” (2), “Subsea Inspection Controller” (3), “Image-Based Damage Assessment for Underwater Inspections” (4), to name a few examples. Apart from independently published guides by subject matter experts, societies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers has started to produce publications like their “Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment” (5).

CONCLUSION

So, why the need for specialized NDT engineers? In today’s world, the expected answer is always “SAFETY”! Yes, that is a part of it, but, as in most every industry, it all boils down to economical benefits. Hire one person who can do the job of two, or more, people. NDT Engineers bridge the gap between what needs to get done and knowing the most practical and economical way to accomplish that goal. NDT Engineers can affect increased production and lower maintenance costs by their technical understanding of codes and regulations coupled with their experience and expertise in advanced inspection technologies and methodologies. A reduction in overall inspection durations by deploying the most practical and efficient inspection techniques to acquire the most relevant data. That in turn increases the reliability and usability of that data. And by combining all the above, not only will it increase safety, but revenues as well. More efficient “bottom-time” = maximized “bottom-line”.

REFERENCES

(1) Davey, V S, 1999, Non-destructive Examination of Underwater Welded Steel Structures, Cambridge, England: Abington

(2) Bai, Yong and Qiang, 2014, “Subsea Pipeline Assessment for Underwater Inspections,” Gulf Publishing

(3) Clancy, A, 2017. “Subsea Inspection Controller”, #inspector2U

(4) O’Byrne, M, 2018, “Image-Based Damage Assessment for Underwater Inspections”, CRC Press

(5) Waterfront Inspection Task Committee, 2015, “Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment”, American Society of Civil Engineers

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