Energy & Refining
Downstream refineries and upstream processing facilities operate some of the most aggressive process environments in industry. Sour service circuits, high-temperature reactors, and thousands of pressure-containing assets create an integrity challenge that demands quantitative, risk-ranked inspection planning — not calendar-based intervals.
Applicable Standards
Critical focus areas
- Sour service and HIC/SOHIC modeling
- Corrosion-under-insulation (CUI) programs
- API 510/570/653 compliance
- Turnaround inspection scope optimization
- Naphthenic acid corrosion management
Key Challenges
- Managing 4,000+ pressure vessels and 50,000+ piping circuits
- Complex inspection scheduling across competing damage mechanisms
- Strict OSHA PSM regulatory oversight
- Feedstock variability altering degradation profiles mid-campaign
Active damage mechanisms
Reliatic ships with a pre-loaded damage mechanism library for Energy & Refining. Each mechanism is linked to its relevant inspection techniques, examination intervals, and regulatory acceptance criteria.
High-Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA)
Irreversible degradation of carbon and low-alloy steels above the Nelson curve boundary, causing fissuring and decarburization in reactor and hot-wall equipment.
Sour Service Embrittlement (H2S/HIC/SOHIC)
Hydrogen-induced cracking and stress-oriented hydrogen-induced cracking in wet H2S environments, particularly at welds and heat-affected zones.
Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)
Hidden external corrosion beneath thermal insulation on carbon steel piping operating between -4°C and 175°C, often undetected until wall loss is critical.
Naphthenic Acid Corrosion (NAC)
High-temperature corrosion in crude distillation units processing high-TAN crudes, accelerating above 220°C with velocities creating turbulent flow.
Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)
Environmentally assisted cracking in austenitic stainless steels exposed to chlorides, polythionic acids, or caustic solutions under tensile stress.
Platform Configuration for Energy & Refining
Outcome
Reduce unplanned shutdowns by focusing inspection resources on the highest-consequence circuits, with API 580/581 evidence records generated as your team works.