Industries/Compressor & Pump Stations
Compressor & Pump Station NDTStation piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components — new build, uprate, outage and call-out.
A station is the densest weld count on the system: yard piping, manifolds, headers, valve assemblies, scrubbers and vessels, all inside a fence line, much of it tied into a line that is still running. Prime Inspections runs RT, PAUT and TOFD on station piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components at pump and compressor stations — and the surface and thickness work that goes with them.
Compressor work is one of the markets we serve every stage of: new construction, turnarounds and emergency call-outs. The crew that shoots the tie-in on the mainline is the crew that walks into the station, so the reporting does not change at the fence.
- Station piping
- Manifolds
- Valve assemblies
- Vessels
- Pipe supports
What we inspect
Inside the fence line, from the suction header to the structural steel.
Station piping & manifolds
RT, PAUT and TOFD on station piping, manifolds, headers and the tie-ins that bring them into the line — the same techniques and the same acceptance criteria as the mainline welds outside the fence.
Pressure-containing components
Radiographic and ultrasonic inspection of pressure-containing components at pump and compressor stations, including valve assemblies, fittings and vessel welds, nozzles and internals.
Thickness & corrosion surveys
UT wall-thickness surveys on operating station piping and valve assemblies supporting integrity management programs, with phased-array corrosion mapping where remaining wall and pit depth have to be measured and recorded.
Structural steel & pipe supports
MT and PT on structural steel, pipe racks and supports subject to vibration and thermal cycling — the failure mode a station sees that a buried line does not.
Why station work is different — and how we run it
Built for the outage window
Stations are inspected during new construction, maintenance shutdowns, turnarounds and emergency outages. Crews are scaled to the window, and digital radiography removes the 45+ minutes conventional film development adds to every exposure.
Smaller exclusion boundaries
Inside a fence line, the exclusion boundary decides how much of the station stops. Digital radiography runs at lower source strength with smaller exclusion boundaries, and an X-ray tube is switched on only for the exposure, so there is no isotope on site.
Volumetric without the shutdown
Where radiography would clear the area, encoded phased array and AUT image the weld volume with every A-scan retained — and they do not slow down as the wall gets heavier.
24/7 call-out
Emergency response for unexpected outage situations, mobilized from our offices in Katy and Lubbock, Texas plus field locations nationwide.
Codes of record
Station welds tied into a transmission or liquids system are reported against API 1104 for construction and ASME B31.8 (gas) or B31.4 (liquids) in service, with applicable DOT/PHMSA regulations. Process piping inside the station is normally ASME B31.3, in-service piping inspection follows API 570, and pressure vessels follow ASME Section VIII. Examination requirements come from ASME Section V; the acceptance criteria are whatever your project specification names.
Methods we run on this work
Frequently asked questions
What do you inspect at a compressor or pump station?
Station piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components — including valve assemblies, fittings and vessel welds — plus UT wall-thickness surveys on operating piping and MT/PT on structural steel, pipe racks and supports.
Which methods do you use on station piping?
RT, PAUT and TOFD on station piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components, with digital radiography (DR), computed radiography (CR) and real-time radiography (RTR) where speed or access calls for them, and MT, PT, UT and VT alongside.
Can you work while the station is running?
In-service work is normal for us: UT wall-thickness surveys and MT/PT on operating systems, valve assemblies and station piping supporting integrity management programs, plus encoded ultrasonics where a radiographic exclusion boundary would shut too much down.
Do you support turnarounds and outages?
Yes — new construction, maintenance shutdowns, turnarounds and emergency outages, with 24/7 response and crews scaled to the window.
Does digital radiography reduce the exclusion boundary?
Lower source strength and smaller exclusion boundaries mean less radiation exposure for crews and the public, and less of the site shut down during shots. An X-ray tube is switched on only for the exposure, so there is no isotope on the job at all.
What code do you report station welds against?
API 1104 for construction and ASME B31.8 or B31.4 in service on the pipeline side; ASME B31.3 for process piping inside the station, API 570 for in-service piping, and ASME Section VIII for pressure vessels — as your project specification calls out.
Do you inspect pipe supports and structural steel?
Yes. MT and PT on structural steel, pipe racks and supports subject to vibration and thermal cycling, which is the wear a station sees that a buried line does not.
How do I get a quote?
Use our contact form or call (281) 944-3840 with the station scope, the outage window and the governing code, and our team will follow up.
Station outage coming up?
Tell us the scope and the window — we will scale the crew to it.