Upcoming Changes to

API 653 Corrosion Inspection and Reporting

API Agenda Item 653-2031

Passed Fall 2020
Introduction
• The purpose is to improve API 653 Standard inspection reporting on tank bottom
corrosion and make consistent with other API documents such as Annex H Similar
Service and RBI.
• Good inspection companies provide much of this information already, and from this
perspective the effort can be described as standardization of industry best practices.
In addition, there are significant improvements to data collection.
• When the next edition of API 653 is published, the industry will naturally begin
accruing more complete corrosion inspection data, via the API 653 inspection. There
will be immediate benefits to corrosion knowledge, and in decades to come, we will
have better data availability, a prerequisite for better corrosion measurement,
understanding, and control.
• Historical errors in corrosion reporting will be corrected. Note that corrosion rate
calculations in section 4.4.5.1 are not the traditional calculation of corrosion depth
divided by time. They are calculated after making repairs and are therefore
frequently misunderstood and misused in practice, such as in similar service
application.
Revisions for inspection continuity
Existing Revised
Reports shall include at a minimum the following 6.9.2 Report Contents
information: Unless agreed otherwise with Owner / Operator,
a) date(s) of inspection; reports shall include:
a) date(s) of current inspection;
b) If required by the owner and the previous inspection
reports are provided prior to the inspection, the new
Establishes continuity between inspection report shall include
prior and current inspections. 1. the date(s) of previous internal inspection.
2. areas of concern from previous inspections and
what condition these areas were found in during
the current inspection.
3. condition of previously repaired areas
Necessary to calculate corrosion c) date of installation or repair of components that are
rate of repaired components. subject to corrosion rate calculations, if available;
Revisions
Existing Revised
b) type of inspection (external or internal); • d) type of inspection (external or internal);
c) scope of inspection, including any areas that were not • e) scope of inspection, including any areas that were
inspected, with reasons given (e.g. limited scope of not inspected, with reasons given (e.g. limited scope of
inspection, limited physical access; inspection, limited physical access;
d) description of the tank (number, size, capacity, year • f) description of the tank (number, size, capacity,
constructed, materials of construction, service history, year constructed, materials of construction, service
roof and history, roof and bottom design, age of bottom, etc.), if
bottom design, etc.), if available; available;
e) list of components inspected and conditions found (a • g) list of components inspected and conditions found
general checklist such as found in Annex C may be used
(a general checklist such as found in Annex C may be
to
used to identify the scope of the inspection) and
identify the scope of the inspection) and deficiencies
deficiencies found;
found;
• h) inspection methods and tests used (visual, MFL,
f) inspection methods and tests used (visual, MFL, UT,
etc.) and results of each inspection method or test; UT, etc.), and results of each inspection method or test;
Necessary to calculate corrosion
rate of replaced bottom.
 Revisions for better corrosion data
Existing Revised
g) corrosion rates of the bottom and shell; i) Minimum measured remaining thickness of corroded
bottom plate to be detected, recorded, and repaired;
j.1) corrosion rates of the bottom (report both the
Industry standard MFL scan corrosion rates calculated from data measured before
information repairs and the calculated future corrosion rates after
repairs and mitigation), shell, roof plate, and accessible
roof structural.
Corrosion rate calculated “before repairs” is the j.2) requirements for repair and mitigation of corrosion
true, uncensored corrosion rate. This rate is what necessary to support calculation for the next internal
should be used in corrosion studies, similar inspection;
k) the measured uncorroded thickness of at least one shell
service, etc… Now “corrosion rates” are defined. plate in each shell course and of each bottom plate.
l) For bottom corrosion, record the location, measured
Corrosion mitigation, such as CP or linings, must range of remaining plate thickness, and type of corrosion
be stated as a basis for corrosion calculations. The (product side or soil side) of all corrosion pits and corrosion
inspector cannot make an unstated assumption areas to be repaired. If no corrosion pits or areas require
repair, then record the maximum product side pit depth
and shift responsibility to the owner. and the minimum thickness from soil side corrosion that
was measured.
More comprehensive corrosion data to be used for m) number and location of any corrosion through-holes on
identification of problems, records, and the tank bottom or shell;
quantitative corrosion study
Revisions
Existing Revised
• h) settlement survey measurements and • n) settlement survey measurements and
analysis (if performed); analysis (if performed);
• i) recommendations per 6.9.3.1; • o) recommendations per 6.9.3.1;
• j) name, company, API 653 certification number • p) name, company, API 653 certification
and signature of the authorized inspector number and signature of the authorized inspector
responsible for the inspection; responsible for the inspection;
• k) drawings, photographs, NDE reports and • q) drawings, photographs, NDE reports and
other pertinent information shall be appended other pertinent information shall be appended to
to the report.
the report.

Note there were no deletions of

pre-existing reporting
requirements.