PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE

SPHERES.

DOCUMENT NO: PR-STEG- ITS-01/20

TITLE: Procedure for inspection of storage spheres.

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
SPHERES.

ISSUE AND REVISION STATUS:

Ref. Date of Revision Prepared Approved

Signature Signature
Revision Revision Details by by
00 26/02/15 Full document J.SALAH
01 17/03/17 Full document J.SALAH
02 08/06/2020 Full document J.SALAH

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
SPHERES.

1.0 PROCEDURE

The present procedure details the requirements and extent of the NDT of the inspection of LPG spheres:

Sphere ID: FB501 A/B/C/D

Date of commissioning: 1986
The last date of testing: --
The final schedule of operation: --
Product: GPL
Capacity: 2220 m3
Diameter: 16185 mm
Year built: 1986
Retesting pressure: -- bar
Operating pressure: 19.3 bar

Sphere ID: FB502 A/B

Date of commissioning: 1986
The last date of testing: --
The final schedule of operation: --
Product: GPL
Capacity: 1912 m3
Diameter: 15400 mm
Year built: 1986
Retesting pressure: --
Operating pressure: 10.2 bar

The survey is a study of the mechanical integrity of the sphere by carrying out:

1. Review of all relevant documentation.

2. Visual inspection.

3. Ultrasonic inspection.

4. PEC inspection of support legs

5. Hydro testing

6. Review and assess the inspection results obtained according to API Standards and codes.

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
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2.0 REFERENCE CODES

• API 510: Pressure Vessel Inspection Code In-Service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration.
• API 570: Piping Inspection Code Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Rerating of In-service Piping
Systems.
• API 653: Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction.
• API 650: Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage.
• API 579: Fitness for Service.
• ASME VIII: Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels.
• ASME B-31.3: Process Piping.
• ASME V : Non Destructive Examination.

3.0 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION:

• Project Engineer certified A2 (agréé auprès du ministère de l’industrie tunisienne).

• UT Inspectors level II.
• MT Inspectors level II.
• Coordinator.

4.0 REVIEW OF DOCUMENTATION:

Prior to carrying out the inspection, the inspector should ensure that all relevant documentation relating
to vessels, piping and sphere is available. This will include:

• P&IDs.

• Isometric & drawings.

• Datasheets details (Material Grade, Diameter, Nominal Thickness and Corrosion Allowance)
for each component.

• Previous inspection reports.

• Details of Modifications and repairs.

• Details of any process excursions.

5.0 VISUAL INSPECTION.

The visual inspection is carried out of all accessible external areas of the sphere and piping should
be visually inspected to ensure that its condition conforms to acceptable standards. That include:

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
SPHERES.

• Shell & Heads,

• Manways and nozzles,

• Coatings, insulation and painting,

• Welded and bolted Attachments,

• Mechanical damage,

• Supports, Skirts and Mounts,

• Leakage,

• Earthing and Cathodic protection…

The results of the inspection should be reported using report, containing sections relating to the
items identified above. A classification of findings with comments should be made as described in table
below.

Definition of Vessel & Piping Condition

C – Nothing to Report B – Less Significant Fault A2 – Significant Fault A1 – Imminent Danger
Vessel in excellent condition; Surface rust, light scale or Corrosion greater Heavy corrosion and / or
no signs of damage or corrosion not exceeding 0.5mm than 0.5mm, deep pitting or cracking
corrosion – nothing to report and within the corrosion possible cracking of any description;
allowance – damage judged not adjacent to welds – vessel operating above
to be dangerous more significant SOL – significant
damage than B but damage with risk of
no immediate risk of imminent danger
failure

6.0 WALL THICKNESS SURVEY

• Ultrasonic thickness measurement should be carried out by ultrasonic pulse echo method
conforming to ASTM E 317, ASTM E 797 90, of all petal plates nozzles Manways, manway pad,
external legs, pipes and headers etc.

• Thickness reading should cover a minimum 15 readings per petal, top / bottom crown to get a

total corrosion profile, map inclusions, if any or laminations in plate. In addition, thickness on
nozzles in the four directions should be taken.

• Provide drawings to a suitable scale giving spot locations and corresponding thickness readings.

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
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• Total no of points Min 1500 points per sphere as described in the following:

6.1 UT SCAN AND PAHSED ARRAY OF THE TOP / BOTTOM CROWN AREA

The UT inspection for the sphere will be:

Scan of all nozzles’ pipes greater than or equal to 2”
For Nozzle with diameter ≤ 4’’: Scan of 5 cm area of
shell around the nozzle.
For Nozzle with diameter > 4’’: Scan of 10 cm area of
shell around the nozzle.
For Nozzle with reinforcement plate: Scan of 5 cm area
of shell around the reinforcement.
For shell area: Scan of windows 20x20 cm² or more in
critical zones defined by the Engineer.

For heads area: Scan of windows 20x20 cm² or more in

the crown surface.

Total no of points Min 1500 points per sphere

Refer to the attached drawing for UT and PA inspection
Location of Inspected Area

6.2 INSPECTION OF THE ASSOCIATED PIPING (16 M FROM THE CENTERLINE OF EACH SPHERE)

6.2.1 ELBOWS:

For diameter ≤ 4’’ (100% Scan) For diameter > 4’’

Band 4
Band 1
50 mm

11 O'clock

W2 5 O'clock

W2

Band 3
50 mm

W1
W1
Band 2
7 O'clock

1 O'clock
12 O'clock
6 O'clock

O'clock
3 or 9

12 O'clock
6 O'clock

O'clock
3 or 9

6.2.2 TEES:

For diameter ≤ 4’’ (100% Scan) For diameter > 4’’

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
SPHERES.

12 O'clock

6 O'clock
12 O'clock

6 O'clock

9 O'clock
9 O'clock
Band 1
W3 W3

Band 4 Band 2

Band 3

5 To 7
O'clock

W1 W2
W1 W2

6.2.3 REDUCERS:
For all diameters (100% Scan) W2
12 O'clock
W1

3 O'clock

6 O'clock

6.3 ASSESSMENT THE INSPECTION RESULTS

The assessment of the inspection results of devices should be performed according to their
appropriate code (See Reference Codes).

The assessment is based on:

• All thickness measurements should be compared to the required thickness calculated
according to the construction code.
• Calculation of the short and long-term corrosion rate.
• Calculation of the remaining life (RL).
• Evaluation of the next planned inspection.

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
SPHERES.

7.0 INSPECTION OF SUPPORT LEGS

7.1 GENERAL

This procedure has been developed as a procedure for the UT inspection of support legs of product
storage spheres located at the Gabes. The technique described in this procedure can be used to detect
general wall loss through insulation by measuring the average wall thickness over a footprint area.

This procedure does not apply for damage other than general wall loss, e.g. not for insulated pitting,
cracks or preferential weld corrosion.

The present procedure applies if the following conditions are fulfilled:

• There are no insulation covers or the insulation covers are made of non-ferromagnetic material.
• There is a clearly visible transition point in the UT signals.

7.2 SCOPE OF WORK

This procedure is applicable to the inspection of 9/8 support legs of storage sphere as described below.
The support legs consist of a carbon steel core with reinforced concrete fireproofing. Per leg, a given
number of circumferential bands shall be inspected divided over the entire length of the leg.

7.3 INSPECTION GRID

Prior to the inspection, the required inspection grid shall be determined. For this inspection, on each
support leg a number of circumferential bands shall be scanned with a space of approximately 1 meter
between the bands in leg length direction.

To achieve 100% coverage in circumferential direction, the step size between two measurement
positions shall be 1 times the insulation thickness.

The inspection grid shall be marked on the object. It is at the discretion of the inspector how most
efficiently the grid shall be marked, either by indication of all grid positions or by indication of a line
once every 10-grid positions.

7.4 SUBMISSION TEST CERTIFICATES:

Supervision, Inspection, submission of detailed report, documentation, Sketches, Drawings and issue
of certification of Inspection / test certificate from approved competent authority.

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 PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION OF STORAGE
SPHERES.

Three sets of final documentation to be submitted on completion of job.

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