API 510, 570 and 653 Inspection Capabilities in Permian Basin

Capabilities Framework

Capabilities organized by decision and asset class.

Inspection is a judgment
function. Not a testing function.

Most inspection firms organize their services by method UT, RT, MT, PT, VT. AIS™ organizes by asset class and governing standard, because that is how operators define scope, how regulators audit programs, and how inspection decisions are made in the field. Method selection follows program scope, not the other way around.

The capabilities below reflect how AIS™ engages across the full project lifecycle from risk-based inspection planning through asset-specific inspection execution and documentation. Each capability is delivered within a principal-led, standards-governed program built to be defensible under audit, handover, and regulatory review.

Planning Methodology

Risk-Based Inspection Planning

API 580 risk-based inspection methodology is the planning framework that informs inspection scope, asset prioritization, and interval setting across AIS™ mechanical integrity programs. Before asset-specific codes are applied, RBI analysis establishes consequence of failure and probability of degradation for each piece of equipment determining what gets inspected, when, and at what level of rigor.

API 580 does not replace API 510, 570, or 653. It governs how those standards are applied across a facility's equipment population. The result is an inspection program that allocates attention and resources based on actual risk not uniform scheduling or contractual habit.

AIS™ applies API 580 methodology at the program level shaping scope definition, interval recommendations, and inspection priority across pressure vessels, storage tanks, and process piping systems within a single, coherent program framework.

Inspection Scope

Determines which assets require inspection and at what level of coverage.

Interval Setting

Risk-informed frequency decisions replacing uniform scheduling assumptions.

Risk Ranking

Consequence and probability analysis across the full equipment population.

Program Structure

MI documentation hierarchy aligned with RBI findings and regulatory requirements.

API 510

Lifecycle Coverage

New Construction / Greenfield

Capital Projects

Repair & Alteration

In-Service Integrity Programs

Applicable Equipment

Separators

Drums

Heat Exchangers

Reactors

Pressure Tanks

Scrubbers

Accumulators

Before Any Inspection Begins — The Program Is Defined

Pressure Vessel Inspection

AIS™ provides mechanical integrity inspection support for pressure vessels across the full asset lifecycle from new construction and greenfield installation through capital project completion and into ongoing in-service programs. Inspection scope is defined against API 510 requirements and documented for traceability from initial commissioning through regulatory review.

New construction and greenfield inspection oversight includes fabrication monitoring, weld inspection integration, pre-commissioning verification, and turnover documentation structured for long-term program use. Capital project scope includes construction inspection oversight, inspection hold point management, and final acceptance documentation aligned to project handover requirements.

In-service inspection programs cover risk-based interval setting informed by API 580 planning corrosion assessment, fitness-for-service evaluation support, and repair and alteration inspection oversight against API 510 and ASME Section VIII requirements. All findings, acceptance decisions, and rejection records are documented in a format built for audit, not internal filing.

API 653

Lifecycle Coverage

New Construction / Greenfield

Capital Projects

Repair & Alteration

In-Service Integrity Programs

Applicable Equipment

Crude Storage

Produced Water Tanks

Chemical Storage

Refined Products / Specialty Storage

Pressure Tanks

Produced Fluid Storage

Asset Class — Above-Ground Storage Tanks

Above-Ground Storage Tank Inspection

AIS™ provides construction and modification inspection, repair inspection support, and in-service tank integrity assessments governed by API 653. Tank inspection scope is structured from initial installation through ongoing compliance programs with documentation built to support regulatory reporting, operator records, and long-term asset management.

New construction and greenfield tank inspection includes fabrication and erection monitoring, floor and shell weld inspection integration, roof and appurtenance inspection, and pre-commissioning verification. Revamp and repair inspection scope includes modification inspection oversight, repair weld inspection, alteration documentation, and return-to-service inspection support.

In-service tank integrity programs apply API 653 inspection requirements with interval planning informed by API 580 RBI methodology. All inspection records, deficiency reports, and acceptance documentation are structured for operator retention, regulatory compliance, and future inspection continuity not project closeout filing.

API 570

Lifecycle Coverage

New Construction / Greenfield

Brownfield Modifications & Tie-ins

Repair & Alteration

Ongoing Integrity Programs

Applicable Equipment

Hydrocarbon Process Lines

Utility Piping

High-Consequence Circuits

Injection Lines

Produced Fluid Systems

Compressor Suction & Discharge

Asset Class — Process Piping

Process Piping Inspection

AIS™ applies API 570 inspection requirements across process piping systems throughout the full project lifecycle from new construction and greenfield piping installation through brownfield modifications, tie-in work, and ongoing piping integrity programs. Inspection scope, circuit classification, and documentation are structured for regulatory compliance and long-term program continuity.

New construction and greenfield piping inspection includes installation monitoring, weld inspection integration, pressure test witnessing, and pre-commissioning piping verification aligned to applicable construction codes. Brownfield and tie-in inspection scope covers modification inspection oversight, repair weld inspection, system isolation verification, and return-to-service documentation.

Ongoing piping integrity programs apply API 570 inspection requirements with corrosion monitoring, thickness data management, circuit-based inspection planning, and interval recommendations informed by API 580 RBI analysis. Documentation is structured to support both operator integrity management systems and regulatory review without requiring reformatting or reconstruction at handover.

AWS CWI — AWS D1.1

Lifecycle Coverage

New Construction / Greenfield

Capital Project Fabrication

Repair Welds

Alteration Work

Brownfield Tie-ins

Applicable Equipment

Vessel Fabrication Welds

Piping Welds

Structural Welds

Tank Shell & Floor Welds

Repair Welds

Alteration Welds

CWI certification governed by the American Welding Society (AWS). Applied within AIS™-governed programs under API 510, API 570, and API 653 program authority.

Inspection Credential — Integrated into MI Programs

Weld Inspection CWI Certified

CWI-certified weld inspection is integrated into AIS™ mechanical integrity programs, new construction oversight, capital projects, and repair and alteration scope. Weld inspection is not a stand-alone testing service it supports acceptance decisions, documentation traceability, and code compliance within broader API-governed inspection programs. Certification is governed by the American Welding Society (AWS).

Repair and alteration weld inspection covers repair weld oversight, alteration acceptance inspection, and documentation structured to satisfy API 510, API 570, and NBIC requirements as applicable. Independent inspection judgment on all weld acceptance decisions no deference to fabricator or contractor preference.

Supporting 
Capability

Not a primary 
service offering

Advanced NDE / NDT

Advanced nondestructive examination methods are applied within AIS™ inspection programs where required by code, risk profile, or inspection scope. Method selection is determined by program requirements not by equipment availability or contractual habit. NDE is an execution tool. It does not define the inspection program.

Methods applied include UT-based examination techniques, phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT), and digital radiographic testing (RT) where scope requires. Personnel qualification is aligned with ASNT standards. No method catalog. No equipment marketing. Application is governed by what the inspection program requires, not what is available to offer.

No method grid. No equipment listing. Applied where code, risk, or program scope requires not offered as a standalone service.

How Capabilities Connect to Execution

These capabilities are delivered as a program not as individual services.

Every capability listed on this page is part of a structured, documented mechanical integrity program. API 580 planning informs what is inspected and when. API 510, 570, and 653 govern how each asset class is inspected and documented. CWI weld inspection and NDE are applied within that framework not independently contracted or delivered.

AIS™ does not operate as a rapid-response commodity testing provider. We deliver inspection programs designed to hold up under audit, handover, and regulatory review.

Structured Inspection Programs.Built Around the Right Standards.