Industries/Hydrogen & Carbon Capture
Hydrogen & Carbon Capture NDTCO2 and hydrogen pipeline girth welds, compression and facility piping — inspected to the code that governs them.
CO2 and hydrogen lines are welded steel pipelines with tighter acceptance criteria. Prime Inspections brings encoded automated ultrasonics, phased array, TOFD and the full radiography range to girth welds, compression and facility piping on carbon capture and hydrogen projects — reported against the code your specification names.
Where a specification tightens acceptance criteria — as hydrogen service usually does — a spot-check technique stops being enough. Encoded ultrasonics is the answer to that: full weld-volume coverage, every A-scan retained, every indication positioned and sized, and a dataset that can be re-reviewed years later without re-shooting the weld.
- CO2 pipelines
- Hydrogen piping
- Compression
- Encoded AUT
- Full-volume coverage
What we would inspect
Pipeline- and plant-shaped assets, with the method chosen for the acceptance criteria.
CO2 pipeline girth welds
Encoded automated ultrasonics and phased array on mainline and tie-in girth welds, with digital radiography where an image of the weld volume is specified — the same mainline and tie-in work our crews run every day.
Hydrogen piping & facility welds
RT, digital radiography, PAUT, AUT and TOFD on hydrogen service piping, facility headers and tie-ins, examined to the acceptance criteria the project specification sets.
Compression & station piping
RT, PAUT and TOFD on compression and station piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components, with UT wall-thickness surveys on operating circuits.
Vessels, storage & structures
UT, PAUT and RT on pressure vessel welds, nozzles and internals; tank shell, floor and annular plate inspection; and MT and PT on structural steel, skids and pipe supports.
Why encoded ultrasonics suits this work
Coverage, not a sample
Encoded AUT and PAUT scan the full weld volume and retain every A-scan, so the record shows what was examined as well as what was found. A tighter acceptance criterion needs that, not a spot check.
Sized and positioned indications
Encoded data positions and sizes each indication, which is what an engineering review needs when the margin on the weld is small.
It does not slow down on heavy wall
On heavy wall, radiography exposure times climb while ultrasonics do not — so heavier wall and higher design pressure do not turn inspection into the schedule.
Re-reviewable years later
The dataset is a digital record. It can be re-reviewed without going back to the ditch, which matters on assets designed for a very long life.
Codes of record
Carbon dioxide pipelines fall under ASME B31.4; hydrogen piping and pipelines have their own code, ASME B31.12; gas pipeline work is ASME B31.8, plant process piping is ASME B31.3, and pipeline construction welding is normally API 1104, with pressure vessels to ASME Section VIII and applicable DOT/PHMSA regulations in service. Examination requirements come from ASME Section V. The acceptance criteria are whatever your project specification names — and on hydrogen and CO2 service they are usually tighter than on ordinary gas.
Methods we run on this work
Frequently asked questions
Does Prime inspect CO2 and hydrogen pipelines?
The methods apply directly: a CO2 or hydrogen line is a welded steel pipeline, and encoded AUT, PAUT, TOFD and the full radiography range are the techniques its girth welds call for. Ask us what we have done in your sector and we will tell you straight rather than imply a record on a web page.
What code governs a CO2 pipeline?
Carbon dioxide pipelines fall under ASME B31.4, with API 1104 for construction welding and applicable DOT/PHMSA regulations in service. Hydrogen piping and pipelines have their own code, ASME B31.12.
Why does hydrogen service change the inspection?
Hydrogen service usually means a tighter acceptance criterion on the weld. A tighter criterion needs coverage rather than a sample — which is what encoded ultrasonics delivers: the full weld volume scanned, every A-scan retained, every indication positioned and sized.
Do you do hardness testing or metallography?
No. Prime performs and reports the nondestructive examination to the procedure qualified for the project. We do not perform hardness testing, in-situ metallography or replication, and we do not do fracture-mechanics or fitness-for-service engineering.
Can you keep up on heavy wall and high design pressure?
Yes — that is where ultrasonics wins. Radiography exposure times climb as the wall gets heavier; encoded ultrasonics does not slow down the same way.
Is the data reviewable later?
Yes. Encoded datasets and digital radiographs are digital records that can be re-reviewed later without going back to the weld.
Do you also cover compression and facility piping?
Yes — RT, PAUT and TOFD on compression and station piping, manifolds and pressure-containing components, plus UT wall-thickness surveys on operating circuits, vessels, tanks and structural steel.
How do I get a quote?
Use our contact form or call (281) 944-3840 with the line, the pipe size and wall, the service and the governing code, and our team will follow up.
CO2 or hydrogen line to weld out?
Tell us the service, the wall and the acceptance criteria — we will tell you which method meets them.