Industries/Gas Distribution & Utilities
Gas Distribution & Utility NDTDistribution mains, regulator and metering stations, replacements and tie-ins — inspected to the same standard as the mainline.
Prime Inspections provides NDT for gas distribution networks serving residential, commercial and industrial customers — the steel mains, services, regulator and metering stations and replacement work that sit closest to the public, and are held to the same weld standard as the transmission line upstream.
Distribution work is short, dense and urban: small diameter, high weld count, traffic control, tie-ins into a live system, and a work window that usually ends when the street has to reopen. Digital radiography suits it — no darkroom in the loop, lower source strength and smaller exclusion boundaries, and an X-ray tube that is switched on only for the exposure, so there is no isotope on a city street.
- Mains & services
- Regulator stations
- Metering
- Replacements
- Tie-ins
What we inspect
From the transmission tap to the meter set.
Distribution mains & girth welds
Radiographic and ultrasonic inspection of girth welds on steel distribution mains and services — the small-diameter, high-weld-count work where the weld decides whether the main goes back in the ground.
Regulator & metering stations
RT, PAUT and TOFD on station piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components at regulator and metering stations, with MT and PT on supports and structural steel.
Replacements & tie-ins
Weld inspection on main replacement and betterment programmes and on tie-ins into an operating system, reported per weld so the street can be closed out.
In-service integrity
UT wall-thickness surveys and MT/PT on operating systems and valve assemblies supporting integrity management programs, with in-ditch phased-array corrosion mapping where remaining wall and pit depth have to be recorded.
Why utilities and their contractors choose Prime
Smaller exclusion boundaries
Lower source strength and smaller exclusion boundaries mean less radiation exposure for crews and the public — and with an X-ray tube there is no isotope on the job at all, because the tube is only energised for the exposure.
Same-shift accept or repair
The radiograph comes up on screen at the job, not an hour later out of a darkroom, so the repair is identified while the crew, the equipment and the excavation are still there.
Audit-ready documentation
Every weld is reported against the governing code — API 1104 for construction, ASME B31.8 in service — and archived as a digital record, ready for the operator's quality file.
Direct to the operator
Prime can be hired and paid directly by the owner/operator, which keeps the accept-or-repair call insulated from the contractor whose welds are being judged.
Codes of record
New construction welds on steel distribution pipe are typically inspected to API 1104; in-service work follows ASME B31.8 for gas and applicable DOT/PHMSA regulations. Station process piping is normally ASME B31.3, with in-service piping inspection following API 570 and structural welds following AWS D1.1. 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
Does Prime inspect gas distribution work?
Yes — NDT for gas distribution networks serving residential, commercial and industrial customers: steel mains and services, regulator and metering stations, replacements and tie-ins.
Which methods do you use on distribution welds?
Radiography — film RT, digital radiography (DR), computed radiography (CR) and real-time radiography (RTR) — plus PAUT, AUT and TOFD where the wall or the access calls for it, and MT, PT, UT and VT.
Is there an isotope on the street?
Not when the work is shot with an X-ray tube: the tube is switched on only for the exposure, so there is no isotope on the job, and the exclusion boundary is smaller than a gamma shot would need.
What code do you report distribution welds against?
API 1104 for new construction and ASME B31.8 in service, with applicable DOT/PHMSA regulations; station process piping is normally ASME B31.3 with API 570 for in-service piping.
Can you keep up with a street-opening window?
Digital radiography puts an interpretable image on screen at the job instead of an hour later out of a darkroom, so the accept-or-repair call is made while the excavation is still open.
Do you do plastic pipe or leak surveys?
No. Our scope is radiographic, ultrasonic and surface examination of welds on steel pipe and station components. We do not perform plastic-pipe fusion testing, leak surveys or cathodic protection surveys.
Can the utility hire Prime directly?
Yes, and we recommend it. Hiring the NDT provider directly means no markup on inspection and no financial tie to the contractor whose welds are being judged.
How do I get a quote?
Use our contact form or call (281) 944-3840 with the programme scope, the pipe size and the governing code, and our team will follow up.
Main replacement programme to inspect?
Tell us the scope, the diameters and the window — we will put certified crews on it.