THE INSPECTION OF STEEL COILED OILFIELD TUBULARS

Roderic K. Stanley, International Oilfield Services and NDE Information Consultants

Houston, Texas
713-728-3548; e-mail [email protected]

ABSTRACT Skelp-End Welds

Strips are welded end to end to make the length of the
Coiled oilfield tubulars up to length 32,000-ft. are string, often as much as 32,000 ft. All skelp-end
now being manufactured. Their NDE has evolved to welds are radiographed (after dressing), using a 2T
where standards are requiring advanced form of hole as a standard. Purchasers then have the option of
magnetic flux leakage and phased array ultrasound. having RT-accepted welds re-inspected with UT,
This presentation covers recent developments in these searching for the planar defects that might escape RT,
techniques, including a non-contact magnetic method and enlarged grain colonies that cause brittleness.
for measuring wall thickness, phased array methods Small EDM notches are used as standards. The welds
for flaw assessment, especially in butt welds, and the are also hardness tested. The welding + NDE
use of an internal untethered robot. Examples of procedures should aim at obtaining a weld (in tube
NDE results are given, including 2 strings that were form) that will have a cycle life of 80% of the tube
submerged by hurricane Katrina. itself.

PUBLISHED STANDARDS Strip (Skelp)

Strip should be full body inspected. It is easier to do
Coiled steel oilfield tubulars are (a) coiled line this during the string make-up than in the original
pipe(CLP), and (b) coiled tubing(CT). Both are seam metre-wide coil form. Removal of defects and
welded materials. CLP is used as flow-lines and hang- imperfections at this stage eliminates them from
off, and its manufacture is now standardized into passing into the string, and possibly causing
published grades, sizes, and masses/unit length under premature failure. Saturated-field eddy current
API Specification 5LCP1. CT is used as work strings, systems for this inspection have been reported3.
and suffers severe accumulation of ultra-low cycle
bending fatigue. ASTM 606/7 HSLA steels hot- Tubing (Pipe) In-Line
rolled into coils are used to assure high fatigue lives API standards (5LCP, RP 5C7) permit UT or
for CT. API’s Resource Group for Coiled Tubulars is electromagnetic inspection of the tube during the
working towards a standard for CT (draft API Spec manufacturing process. Experience suggests that eddy
5ST). API Recommended practice RP 5C72 has now current methods are just not sensitive enough to
been re-approved twice since its introduction in 1996, detect the very small planar flaws (such as hook
but the material there-in will eventually transferred to cracks – a steel defect – and penetrators – a steel edge
other documents. preparation/welding defect). The seam weld of tubing
should thus be inspected by advanced ultrasound
MANUFACTURING NDE during the manufacturing process. A phased array
system has been reported4,5. The difficulties that arise
NDE is critical to the success of API coiled tubular for NDE are those associated with (a) leaving the
strings. The old adage that if a string passes a inside flash in the tubing, and (b) the changing wall
hydrostatic test, it must be acceptable, represents thickness of CT from one end of many of the strings
older and unacceptable thinking. In cases involving to the other. Missed penetrators are one cause of
seam welded pipe, the hydrostatic test can do more premature leaks in the seam weld, especially when
harm than good in that it can cause smaller cycled and acids are run in the pipe. [Penetrators arise
(undetected) defects to grow, but not burst. In coiled basically from poor edge preparation].
tubulars, these smaller defects still need to be defined, The detection of 10%t ID and OD test flaws of
but we have had to set standards based upon known length 0.25-in. are recommended of an inspection
detection methods and their reference indicators. Here system.
is the present position.

ASNT Conference Las Vegas, November 2007 Page 1 of 4

Butt Welds up to about 10% of the tubing wall is not particularly
Some strings have butt welds. They are either detrimental, and preferable to a butt weld. This
permitted (as in CLP, hang-off) or discouraged (long, represents good practice.
high-pressure, high temperature work strings), and
often done in the field as a repair to remove deep FIELD NDT
defects or heavily cycled sections of CT. Butt weld
quality is often questionable. While RT is used and Three forms of field inspection have evolved; all
has been standardized, recent advances in phased- employ MFL rather than UT. No full body UT unit
array UT have meant that butt welds in relatively for used CT inspection currently exists.
thin-walled tubulars can now be readily performed6.
Typically 10 MHz sound between 45 and 70 deg is 1) In the first, the EMI unit above is used. It contains
used, with a standard that contains a 5%t x 0.125-in. a rotating gamma-ray source for wall thickness
long EDM reference indicator. This is appropriate for measurement. This method has been used for
lack of fusion problems that are not detected by X- inspections of over 100 CT and CLP strings, both
ray, and these are probably the worst defects that such new and used, and was used for the strings reported
butt welds can harbour. below.
Ends to be butt-welded should also be demagnetized
to as low a level of residual magnetism as possible. 2) In the second, the tbg is magnetized longitudinally,
and checked for flaws with a transverse component.
Final Inspection at Mill The method also uses a magnetic reluctance technique
Indications detected on in-line inspection need to be for non-contact wall thickness measurement9. An
investigated off-line as soon as possible. Rules have eddy current stand-off method is used for
been reported in earlier papers7. The only way (at measurement of tubing ovality, which seriously
present) to re-inspect a finished string is to use a affects the collapse resistance of the tbg. Very much
small version of a conventional EMI unit that was used tbg has been inspected by this method, and it is
built for small diameter OCTG tubing inspection. In being standardized in draft API RP 5C8 (Care,
this equipment, the steel is magnetized axially and Maintenance and Inspection of Coiled Tubulars). The
circumferentially so that defects in all directions can device is relatively portable, and may be attached to
be found using magnetic flux leakage (MFL). the CT rig, so that the tbg can be inspected as it is
Reference standards include 0.25 and 0.50-in. long x pulled out of the hole.
10%t ID surface EDM notches, and 1/32nd and
1/16th-in. through-drilled holes. 3) In the third, a robot is sent through the tubing while
Occasionally, only a longitudinal magnetization is it sits on the storage reel. (This eliminates the one
used, but this method has little sensitivity to fatigue cycle often consumed by the above methods).
longitudinal seam-weld defects such as tight The robot uses permanent Nd-B-Fe magnets to
penetrators, and other than setting baseline wall saturate the tube wall longitudinally, and hall-effect
thickness measurements, this method provides little elements are used to scan MFL from defects on both
information. walls, and measure the tangential field strength that
has been shown to be related to the wall thickness in
Prove Up the vicinity of the sensor. (This is not a small “spot”
The usual MT and PT are useful for OD-surface tight measurement as is compression-wave UT, but rather
defects. Compression wave ultrasonics (UT) is used an average over a region of pipe, but is useful for
to measure remaining wall after OD surface flaws are detecting grinds and extended areas of wear or
removed. Shear wave techniques have evolved that corrosion on the tbg.)
(a) permit the seam weld to be inspected without
getting reflections from the internal flash column, COILED TUBING MECHANICS
(b) permit the skelp-end weld to be inspected in tube
form. Problems Associated With Coiled Tubing
The same reference indicators as above are used. Several articles have been written regarding what
happens to CT and how it degrades in field
OD Surface Flaw Removal operations10. Summarizing:
Flaw removal is governed by the need not to have a
butt weld, since they do not have anywhere near the 1. Mill Residuals: The worst appears to be
bend-cycle life of the virgin tubes. Research at the incomplete fusion of the seam weld. It may
Coiled Tubing Mechanics Research Consortium8 at contain cold welds and penetrators, which may
the U. of Tulsa has indicated that removal of defects subsequently leak at high pressure, in acids, and

ASNT Conference Las Vegas, November 2007 Page 2 of 4

 after only a few cycles. of which were 0.050-in. The pits often occurred
where the tubing contacted itself and the sides of
2. OD Surface Marks: These include chafing the reel. Flexor TU05 was then used to calculate
marks (the tbg wraps moving tightly against (a) the number of trips to failure at 3000 psi
themselves & the side of the reel), gouges, and internal pressure (we had to select a
injector ring marks. value and this is as good as any!) for
perfect pipe,
3. OD Corrosion: Tubing must be protected before (b) the no. of strips to failure at the same
and after jobs with a layer of coating materials, pressure with the defects present,
and preferably kept out of rain- and seawater, assuming they were hemi-spherical,
and acids. All cause corrosion if left unattended. which many were.
(c) The number of trips if the defects are
4. ID Corrosion: Acids and seawater (used to flush then sanded out, and
out the tbg) cause pitting and eventually (d) The 95% confidence level in the
hydrogen-induced cracking, including calculations.
embrittlement if left inside. These problems To estimate the effect of a butt weld, the
generally occur at the 6-00 o’clock position wrt undamaged tubing results were divided by 4. It
to the tubing on the reel. was found that flaw removal would always have
been a better option than replacing pitted sections
5. Ovalling and Ballooning: Continual cycling with butt welds.
lowers the yield strength, and subsequent
pressure causes the tubing to oval or to swell. 2. Katrina String 2: Similar results were found on
Tension may then cause ballooning or collapse. a second sister string of CT90 submerged under
Katrina.
6. Abrasion: Tubing abrades against the sides of
the well, either going in (buckling) or coming 3. Tahiti String: Similar results were found with a
out. Passing sand through the tubing abrades the CT-110 string manufactured for the Tahiti (G o
ID in the curved part of the string on the reel. M) well, which had 2 butt welds. EMI and Flexor
revealed only a few shallow pits, (the deepest
7. HIC and SOHIC: In H2S, HIC and SOHIC may being 0.020-in.) to be of no serious consequence.
occur and cause serious problems. They can originally The butt welds were the obvious problem in this
initiate at inconsistencies in the steel such as string, since their cycle life would be far less than
laminations and mid-wall segregations. that of the tubing.

CT Mechanics Research PHASED ARRAY BUTT WELD

Based upon work at U Tulsa, fatigue curves were
established for virgin tubes, skelp-end welds, and INSPECTION
butt-welds. These curves predicted tubing life in the
absence of defects. Because tubing was reportedly In order to test butt welds in CT, an “Omniscan” was
breaking in the field at defects, further research lead used at 10 MHz with entry angles 40-70 deg. from a
to a programme (Flexor TU05) that covers the contoured probe. This technique is ideal for the
detrimental effects of OD surface defects. As might detection of lack-of-sidewall fusion. Zero degree scans
be expected, shorter, wider defects lead to lower were also performed to both look at the ID bead, and
fatigue lives, while smoothing them out raises it. check for LoF between the 1st and 2nd weld metal
We have used both NDE and this programme to layers. The reference notch of 0.125-in. long x 5%t (in
determine the suitability of the use of used strings. this case 0.009-in.) was easily detected and it’s A-scan
set at 80% FSH. The S-scans are particularly
revealing.
EXAMPLES OF EMI AND FLEXOR Inspections of butt welds in CT have now been
performed in the field (far easier than taking radiation
1. Katrina String 1: Inspection of a 28,240-ft. to an offshore rig!) and the method has been included
string of CT90 manufactured for the into at least two CT standards.
Thunderhorse wells (Gulf of Mexico) was
performed in Houston after the string had been
delivered to Venice (S. LA) and then flooded by ROBOTIC INSPECTION
hurricane Katrina. Numerous OD pits were
found, doubtless caused by seawater, the deepest A robot has been developed that will travel inside CT
of diameter 2.875-in. Data from field tests in Norway

ASNT Conference Las Vegas, November 2007 Page 3 of 4

indicate that the system is responsive to internal and Coiled Tubulars,” Roderic K. Stanley, Proc. SPE/Icota
external pitting11, and that wall thickness can be Mtg., Aberdeen, Scotland, Nov 2005.
measured from the inside of the tube. The robot knows 2. API Recommended Practice RP 5C7, “RP for Coiled
exactly where it is and in which direction it is going. It Tubing Operations in Oil and Gas Well Services”.
3. "Improved Nondestructive Inspection During Tubing
is totally untethered. Data are collected at
Manufacture and Servicing," T. McCoy, R. Rosine, C.
approximately 1 mm intervals, stored in memory, and Aulert, J. Martin and R. K. Stanley, SPE Paper 81734,
reviewed when the robot is returned. Proc. SPE/Icota Mtg. Apr 8, 2003.
It has now been developed to negotiate 1-D bends 4. "Some 'Firsts' in Coiled Tubing Inspection," R. K.
in furnace and other tubing. At larger diameters, Stanley, SPE Paper 89521, Proc. SPE/Icota Mtg.
techniques other than MFL can be used, so that March 23, 2004.
material other than ferromagnetic tubes can be 5. “Phased Arrays for Improved Inspection of Coiled
inspected. Tubing,” N. Dube, Fabio Moreira, & R. K. Stanley,
NDT Conference, Brazil, 2004, and "Progress With
Coiled Line Pipe," R. K. Stanley, Materials
CONCLUSIONS Evaluation, May 2005, pp 477-9.
6. “Inspections of HPHT Coiled Tubing Strings,” Proc,
1. CT inspection is much improved from the situation SPE Applied Technology Workshop Strategies and
15 years ago. Minimum production standards are Solutions for HP/HT Drilling and Completions, Nov 1-
now written, and customers are requiring additional 2, 2006, Galveston, TX.
state-of-the inspections such as phased-array UT. 7. "Inspection of Coiled Oilfield Tubing - A First
Update," R. K Stanley, Materials Evaluation, Aug
2. Final inspection of CT has been introduced and now 2000, pp. 970-975.
8. “Repairing Surface Flaws in Coiled Tubing,” S. M.
finds its way into API standards. Tipton, et. al., SPE/Icota 10th European Coiled Tubing
and Well Intervention Round table, Aberdeen,
3. Internal robots have been introduced that can Scotland, Nov 2004.
inspect CT from the inside, and may be used for 9. “Observations on Magnetic Wall Measurements of
steel tubing products. Coiled Oilfield Tubing,” Roderic K. Stanley, Mater.
Eval. Feb 2004, pp 125-128.
Note: A detailed version of this paper can be found in “ 10. “Failures in Coiled Tubing," R. K. Stanley, 5th Intl.
Inspections of 100 Coiled Tubing Strings,” R. K. Stanley, Conf. On Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention, Feb
ASNT Intl. Chemical and Petroleum Insp. Conf., Houston, 1997, pub. Gulf Publishing, and “An Analysis of
June 2007. Failures in Coiled Tubing,” R. K. Stanley, IADC/SPE
Paper 39352, Proc. IADC/SPE Conf, Dallas, TX, Mar
1998.
References 11. “Recent Advances in Robotic Coiled Tubing
Inspection,” R. K. Stanley, Insight 49(9), Sept 2007,
1. API Specification 5LCP, “Specification for Coiled Line and “An Untethered Robot for Inspecting Tubing,” R.
Pipe.” 2nd Ed. 2007. See also “API Standards for K. Stanley, ASNT Intl. Chem. and Petroleum Insp.
Conf., Houston, June 2007.

ASNT Conference Las Vegas, November 2007 Page 4 of 4

 Inspection of Steel Coiled
Tubulars

Roderic K. Stanley, Ph. D., I. Eng

International Oilfield Services and
NDE Information Consultants
Houston, TX
www.ndeic.com

ASNT-Vegas-2007
 Abstract…….
• CT strings are generally for high-
pressure/high temperature use, and
made by ERW/HFI methods.
• Lengths are up to 32,000 ft
• Internal flash column is not removed
– makes NDE “interesting”.
Lifting CT at the plant
• We calculate the effect on the
fatigue life of the tubing using a
computer programme – Flexor
TU05.
• Roughly 100 coiled tubing strings
have been final-inspected in
Houston (after hydro test)
Running coiled tubing at the wellsite
• This paper covers some of the
inspections
 Standards for Coiled Tubing?
• Where do standards and
specifications come from?
• There is no published (API)
specification for CT.
• Currently, the buyer must
perform “Contract Review”
on commercial grades…..
• …..And look at tests and
inspections over and above
those that are conventionally
performed in the mill….. Final Inspection of coiled tubing for
use as a riser offshore Africa. The
• ,,,Such as a “Final Inspection inspection unit is between the 2 reels
after Hydro-test”
 Current Standards for Coiled Tubing
Recommended Practice API RP 5C7
• Covers CT70, CT80 and CT90 Grades only
API are working on a Specification for Coiled Tubing (API
Spec 5ST) that will cover grades CT70, CT80, CT90,
CT100, CT110 and…..
A Recommended Practice for Care, Maintenance and
Inspection of Coiled Tubulars. (API RP 5C8)

• and there are some customer standards

………So it can get confusing out there……
 Coiled Line
Pipe

CLP in Peterhead, (Scotland)

• However, there is an API

Specification for coiled line
pipe,
pipe covering grades X52C-
X90C (almost the same grade
symbols as in API Spec 5L)
• 2nd Ed. publ Apr 2007
 Needs for NDE for HPHT Coiled
Tubulars
• Mill “Final inspection” of tube (EMI or UT)
• Better and non-radiative inspection of seam welds and
butt-welds (if present in tubes)
• Better Field Inspection of entire strings, inc, butt welds
•Tying NDE to Fatigue and life loss as the pipe is cycled
So, in this paper we discuss
• Fatigue considerations
•Final Electromagnetic Inspection (EMI)
•UT prove up for Longitudinal Seam
Welds
•Phased-Array Butt Weld Inspection
 What Happens to CT?
• Coiled Tubing spends it life being bent and
straightened, & having nitrogen, acids,
cement and other stuff pushed through it
• May or may not contain a wire-line
• It will have (a) Residual mill defects, and
(b) Service-induced defects in it as it is
used.
• Some pictures follow…..
Typical Defects 1 Gouge

• Typical defects on OD of tube

from rig operations.
• Cracks form in the roots of these
defects when the pipe is bent and
straightened, often without your
knowledge.
• Pipe can (and has) broken in hole
and caused fishing jobs running at
$M.
• One failure cost one N. Sea Oil
Company about $8M in lost
production; could have been
avoided if the pipe had been
inspected.
• CT failures, especially offshore,
are not cheap….. Injector marks

See the need for non-contact defect detection?

Typical Defects 2
• Pitting and scrapes in
tubing

Internal pitting

Gouge cycled to failure with a fatigue crack

See the need for detection of defects on internal and external surfaces?
 Typical Defects 3
• Results of a sand-frac
(Canada), and acid left in
the tubing (Colombia)

See the need for wall thickness measurement of pipe with rust?
 Typical “Longitudinal” Defects
• Fatigue cracks
• Open seam in
electric weld pipe,
with internal flash
present.
• Long crack that
split the pipe at
the root of the
flash column after
acid work.

2 pictures courtesy Dr B Luft, BJ Services

 How They Tell the Condition of the
CT…..
• Count the running feet……scrap after X-ft. (X is,
of course, a variable….)
• Scrap after 3 years….(if it hasn’t broken).
• Scrap after surviving 2 winters….
• Buy a Fatigue Model and calculate the
accumulated bending fatigue
• Until recently, none of these models accounted for
the presence and growth of defects.
• Until recently, rarely was NDE used, and great
risks were taken
 Fatigue Life Models
• Tubing fatigue life is theoretically
modelled
• There are several models….no 2
give the same result.
• Most models do not include the
effects of imperfections.
• The model described here (Flexor Severe wear from abrasion
TU) from the U of Tulsa, contains
the effects of OD surface damage
• This model is the result of company
participation at the Coiled Tubing
Mechanics Research Consortium,
and the Idaho National Engineering
Lab Internal pitting in “hang-off”
CT
 Flexor TU05 Cycle Life Model
197 cycles

• Data that are Defect dimensions

collected on ..a new addition!
fatigue
machines
are used to
compute rig 41 trips into the well
performance
of the tbg
with OD
surface
defects
• Cycles/trips without the defect are 495
cycles and 104 trips respectively. With
this defect present, 197 and 41
respectively
This programme is recently up-dated
with 95% confidence levels
Quote “The tubing failed at Predictions of
20% of its rated life”
Response“More likely it failed
Flexor Model with
at 100%. What or who Defects
caused the other 80%?”
Cycle life and trips gets smaller
as:
• (a) defect gets deeper (width
& length the same)
• (b) defect gets axially shorter
(depth and width the same)
• (c) defect gets transversely
wider (depth and length the Picture shows the result of cycling a 10%
same) EDM notch on a fatigue machine to
• (d) internal pressure failure
increases.
 NDE Techniques for CT Strings
..in addition to what the mill does on any string…..
• “Final” EMI inspection (Because there is no final
full-body Ultrasonic Testing……yet….). Done at the mill,
or as “receiving inspection”.
• The usual MT and PT for tight surface imperfections
• Ultrasonic Shear Wave Inspection for Longitudinal
Seam Weld
• Shear Wave Inspection for Butt Welds. This is a very
useful inspection for in-service butt welds. Good
results have been obtained with phased array UT.
• EMI for in-service strings (Magnetic wall thickness,
MFL for pitting & gouges, cracks, and an ovality
measurement)
 Techniques - EMI

Longitudinal flaw inspection, circular

magnetization with rotating poles
Transverse flaw inspection/longitudinal
magnetization

This Inspection meets API

5LCP SR 21 & ASTM 570

Sensors in rotating inspection

 EMI-Transverse Flaw Only
System measures wall, ovality, and detects transverse flaws

Field Experience
• Over 14.5
million feet
inspected.
• Total of > 240
strings.
• Spooling,
onshore and
offshore
operations.
• Several
evaluation
tests.
Courtesy Rosen Inspection
 Signal Processing

• Use of Neural networks to assess defects in tubing in real time

Courtesy Rosen
Inspection
 EMI Transverse Flaw only 2
• Small diameter tubing from
the OD Ovality
• Fold-out map of MFL measurement

signals, along with more

traditional presentation.
• Wall thickness

Courtesy Tuboscope
Reference Standards
for EMI and UT
• Pipe is made to have several
EDM notches, 2 TDHs, and a
butt weld.
• Pick the ones you want during
“contract review”.
• Set up the unit on the agreed
reference indicator(s),
• Test with RIs at 12, 6, 3, 9
o’clock, then run the tubing
string.

• Then evaluate all signals, not just those that exceed the reference indicator
signal.
 Indication Prove-Up

• UT Wall measurement
• Dimensions (ovality)
• The usual Magnetic Particle
Inspection for tight OD
defects
• Ultrasonic Shear Wave for
Seam Welds
• Advanced Phased-Array
Ultrasonic Shear Wave for
Butt welds
 Shear Wave –
Seam Weld
• Simple trigonometry reveals
distance to flaw and wedge
angle. We use angles
calculated from coiled
tubing tables so as to avoid
reflections from internal
flash.
• This Level II guy is
inspecting the weld of
spiral-weld pipe.
• This is faster than RT and
sees planar stuff that RT
would tend to miss.
 Current Butt Weld Inspection
• Currently we use double-wall RT
Elliptical image on
Mill – X-Rays film is necessarily
Field - Gamma rays through 2 walls
• OK for volumetric flaws, but not
responsive to planar problems, e.g.
Lack Of Fusion.
• There is a need a lightweight,
accurate non-radiation method, esp.
for offshore use. Butt weld

• We are studying Phased Array UT

at 5-10 MHz
• Note: Butt welds are not critically
inspected by current EMI/MFL
methods because the butt weld signal
hides the MFL from much smaller
planar flaws in the weld
 Advanced UT of Butt Welds 1
• RT is not acceptable for planar defects
(which have high stress concentrations
at their ends under bending loads, and
fail quickly)
• Planar defects (e.g. sidewall lack-of-
fusion) are better detected by
ultrasound, but conventional UT
methods are hard to implement in
thin-walled material. Phased-array
works very well………..
• There is much evidence for this from
pipeline weld inspection.
• UT is Easier, cheaper, and faster than
RT, and doesn’t need a radiation
safety programme, but does need a
good Level II. Phased-array weld probe
• 5-10 MHz Phased Array Advanced UT of
•16 transducer system instead of 1 Butt Welds 2
•Small reference indicator (5% of
wall, 0.125-in.)
•Rapid scans possible from both sides
of weld
• OD Surface prep is important to
eliminate spurious reflections
• Can be performed as acceptance
after mill RT
•Perform easily in field to monitor
welds, esp. offshore, because weight
is negligible,and calibration can be Unit and calibration notch weighs
about 10 lb
done before you get on the helicopter.
Phased Array?…
• Multi-element pulses of sound,
controlled by computer.
• Sound comes together right
where you want it to.
to
• Beam angles from 40-70 and ½
degree intervals. (60 beams!)

•Vary defect sensitivity by

changing the frequency.
•Many presentation modes are
possible, to suit the inspection

Screen of PA unit
 PA Equipment For CT Butt Welds
• RD-Tech “Omniscan” at 5
MHz
• Computer does everything,
including storing the
standardization from one job
to the next.
• Highly portable and no
radiation!
• 16 element UT probe looking
40° deg to 70° from either
side of smoothed weld.
• Detects both 2D and 3D
imperfections in and close to
butt-weld, or anywhere
else……

Courtesy RD-Tech
 Phased Array Display for Shear Wave
Weld Inspection – Ref Ind.
•Reflection
from EDM
notch from
50-60°, max ID
at 56°.
•80% FSH
OD
set at “red”.
• This EDM
Notch depth ID2

is 0.009-in.,
length 0.125-
in. These data were taken by Q-Pro (Houston), and stored in memory,
before heading to Oklahoma to inspect a butt weld.
 Typical Data – ID Indication
• A-scan at
56.5° (L)
ID
and S-scan
(R) from 40-
70 deg with OD
an ID
indication. ID
• Defect at ID
OD
• Defect on
2nd leg

Data were collected at Q-Pro (Houston), before going out on a job

 Weld Signal – 2.375-in. Tube Weld
• Field
inspection of Weld metal
butt weld
• Some noise ID
from weld Tube wall
metal on 1st
leg. OD
• Possibly A-scan at 40 S-scan from 40-70 Tube wall
deg deg
enlarged
grains in ID2
weld which
scatter sound

Data were collected by Q-Pro in the field

 Cracks in Pipe
Primary Crack
• Small second-
ary cracks in a
fatigued
sample are
easily Secondary
fractures

detected.
• Ideal for field
prove-up
Corner of primary
fracture

16-element transducer
 Examples of EMI Inspection
• We have inspected over 100 strings by EMI.
• The following examples of NDE were done with
the EMI system with the rotating pole described
above.
• Two of the strings had been manufactured for use
on BP Thunderhorse, but were submerged during
hurricane Katrina.
• A third string had been stored for 2 years, and the
owner want to know if it was usable.
• 28242-ft. of 2-
in. tubing
2006-String 1(Katrina)
• 0.050-in. (28%) 0.06
OD pit at Pit depth (in.) vs. dist from end (ft)
12,000-ft in
0.156 wall. 0.05

• Flexor TU05 Pitting in bands at

predicts cycles 0.04 exposed places on reel
drop from 541 Inner
to 139 at 3 kpsi, 0.03 wraps Outer
on a 72-in. wraps
radius bend 0.02
block. 302
cycles if flaw is 0.01
removed.
• The rest are 0
mainly 0.010-
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000
0.027-in. deep Feet from inner wrap on drum
OD salt-water
pits Note that the pits are in bands, related to
the outer edges of the storage reel
 FT WALL depth Flexor Flexor Flexor
(mils) (mils) NTF 95% NTF 95% NTF 95%
0 160 138 79
21 160 138 79

2006 String 2-Katrina 134

885
895
160
159
158
14
15
22
138
138
138
79
79
79
121
119
95
74
72
58
137
137
132
81
81
79
938 157 20 138 79 102 62 134 80
200 997 158 11 138 79 129 79 138 82
1040 159 20 138 79 102 62 134 80
180 1237 160 10 138 79 131 80 138 82
160 1290 160 10 138 79 131 80 138 82
140 WALL (mils) 1488
1533
164
163
10
23
138
138
79
79
131
97
80
59
138
131
82
78
120
1572 150 10 138 79 131 80 138 82
100 depth (mils) 1616 170 15 138 79 119 72 137 81
80 1672
60 1701 163 30 138 79 70 42 122 72
1732 138 79
40 1902 169 138 79
20 2038 179 19 138 79 105 64 135 80
0 2116 165 26 138 79 82 50 128 76
2459 161 19 138 79 105 64 135 80
2523 161 27 138 79 78 48 126 75
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 2608 162 25 138 79 85 51 129 77
2749 162 19 138 79 105 64 135 80
7043 157 13 138 79 124 75 137 82
7182 160 13 138 79 124 75 137 82

• Over 50 pits between 10-15 mils deep, 7221

7313
158
160
21
24
138
138
79
79
98
88
60
53
133
130
79
77
from salt water, at lower end of string. 7332
7422
159
156
20
18
138
138
79
79
102
109
62
66
134
135
80
80
7462 155 20 138 79 102 62 134 80
• We computed the effect of the flaw using 7480 162 35 138 79 58 35 112 67
7582 160 15 138 79 119 72 137 81
Flexor-TU05 (number to failure, & 95% 7621 157 19 138 79 105 64 135 80

confidence level.) 7670

7738
157
157
23
22
138
138
79
79
91
95
56
58
131
132
78
79
7778 158 20 138 79 102 62 134 80
• One 46 mil deep pipe flaw at 7815-ft. 7815 168 46 138 79 43 26 88 53
7856 160 23 138 79 91 56 131 78
reduces life drastically at this point. 7900 160 10 138 79 131 80 138 82
7935 157 20 138 79 102 62 134 80
• String could have been repaired and used 7970
9741
160
163
15
15
138
138
79
79
119
119
72
72
137
137
81
81
9778 157 19 138 79 105 64 135 80
 2006 string 3 –CT110 grade
• 27,000-ft. with 2 butt welds FLAW % DEPTH vs DISTANCE
25
• 1.75-in. (0.204-0.156).
20

APPROX % DEPTH
• Built 2003 15

• Inspected new and in 10

2006.2006 5

• Used a 1/16th-in. TDH 0

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000
reference indicator, since we DIST FROM 0.204-in. END
had already inspected it
“new”, and passed the string.
• 15 indications
• One at 20%t, 2 at 18%t
• String could have been
repaired, then monitored in
service.
General surface condition shows OD surface pitting
 Conclusions
• We have presented examples of techniques
developed for inspecting HPHT and other tubing
strings, and coiled line pipe, both in addition to
mill inspection, and in the field (EMI and UT).
• We have found that setting up an inspection
programme to monitor CT strings in the field can
be very effective in making strings last longer.
• An inspection programme may provide the
confidence to keep strings in service, avoiding
failures, and indicating when new strings, butt
welds, etc., are required.
• Flexor is very effective in telling when to weld or
repair a string.