Reader Question Addressed: Resources for PMI in the Oil and Gas Industry

We recently received a comment from a reader regarding a previous article, Analyzing 304 and 321 Steel for PMI on Piping Systems. The reader wrote: “This is a really informative piece! I didn’t realize there was such a difference between 304 and 321 steel, especially in terms of resistance to corrosion at higher temperatures. How often is Positive Material Identification (PMI) testing conducted in industries like oil and gas to help ensure the correct material is used?

Here’s a summary, for those readers not familiar with the article.  Scroll below for a list of resources to learn more about PMI in the oil and gas industry.

Thermo Fisher Scientific: Reader Question Addressed: Resources for PMI in the Oil and Gas Industry.

Recap

Ensuring the integrity and safety of pipelines is critical, particularly in industries such as oil and gas. Positive Material Identification (PMI) plays a crucial role in verifying that the correct materials are used, helping to prevent catastrophic failures. Two commonly used stainless steels in these applications are 304 and 321 steel. 304 stainless steel is known for its excellent corrosion resistance and formability, making it versatile and cost-effective for various applications, including piping and heat exchangers. On the other hand, 321 stainless steel, which includes titanium, offers enhanced resistance to intergranular corrosion, making it ideal for high-temperature environments like aerospace and petrochemical industries.

PMI helps ensure that materials meet the required specifications through advanced analytical techniques that help verify the chemical composition of the materials, helping to prevent the use of incorrect or substandard materials. These techniques include:

• Handheld XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) spectroscopy is a non-destructive method that uses X-rays to determine the elemental composition of materials. It is quick and provides accurate results, making it ideal for field use.
• LIBS technology (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) is an analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials, and is especially used for calculating carbon equivalency.
• Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is a method that involves sparking the material and analyzing the emitted light to determine its composition. OES is highly accurate and can detect a wide range of elements, but it is a heavy instrument to use in the field.

PMI Resources

To help better understand how PMI is used in the oil and gas industry, here is a collection of articles and resources:

• Portable Power Generation / Oil and Gas (PMI) Resources (includes webinars, videos, application notes, etc.)
• Application notes:
  • Carbon equivalents in steel components
  • Preventing sulfidic corrosion failures
  • Identifying residual elements in steel piping
  • Power plant FAC inspection protocol
  • Analysis of microalloying elements in steel
  • Conducting retroactive PMI
• Free Webinars and Videos:
  • API 578 (3rd edition) – Guidelines for a material verification program
  • Why Is analyzing carbon important?
  • Latest developments in PMI technologies
  • Geothermal Power Generation 
• eBooks:
  • XRF technology for non-scientists
  • LIBS technology for non-scientists
• Additional PMI blog articles

And if you want to see workers in action conducting PMI, check out the photos in this article:
Oil and Gas PMI Crews in Action – Photo Gallery.