Profile of a SubSea NDT Engineer

by Joshua de Monbrun, CEng

The term “NDE/NDT Engineer” is being used more frequently across all sectors of our industry, often with little similarity in definition. The purpose of this paper to define what an NDT Engineer is, highlight the educational and experience backgrounds necessary to become an NDT Engineer, and to further detail specifics in specializing as a SubSea NDT Engineer.

Most current definitions of an NDE Engineer are a combination of an engineer and a certified NDT Level III, or in some cases, being misapplied to positions such as an NDT Level II Technician. This paper aims to not only define what or whom an NDT Engineer is, but also to list out the duties and responsibilities of the title and minimum educational and experience requirements, as well as advanced focus areas of the subsea industry an NDE Engineer can choose to specialize in. 

Keywords: NDT, engineer, underwater, inspection, asset integrity, subsea, commercial diving, ROV

Technical Background

What is a SubSea NDT Engineer? First, what is an NDT Engineer?

The term “engineer” seems to be used loosely in the industry over the past several years. An “engineer” can be someone who drives a train, works on a ship’s engine(s), designs software or programs computers, connects networks or runs a broadcast, or works in custodial services. Most of these jobs are technician positions, which do not require a formal, accredited degree in a traditional engineering field. To more aptly define “engineer” for the purposes of this paper, engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build, and test machines, systems, structures, and materials to fulfill objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost. Above and beyond this, we will also consider the addition of graduating from an accredited engineering program and membership and accreditation with a recognized engineering council.

So, what is a SubSea NDT Engineer? It’s someone who has a bachelor of science or above in engineering (sometimes a science discipline related to engineering is allowed), has significant inspection experience in offshore oil and gas, is conversant with most NDT methods and techniques, and maintains a membership with a recognized institute and accreditation with an engineering council. Such organizations include the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), Engineering Council (EC), National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Order of the Engineer (OE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), or American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Occupational Knowledge

The basic technical background outlined above, as a foundation for becoming an NDT Engineer, must also be coupled with years of experience and “occupational knowledge”. This means that one cannot simply graduate from a university as an NDT Engineer. It requires a combination of formal education and practical field experience.

This practical field experience specific to subsea inspection will include significant experience and understanding with topside and underwater systems, processes, damage mechanisms, inspections techniques, and deployment vehicles. Deployment vehicles are simply a transportation method to get the tool needed to accomplish a task to the location of the area of interest.  For subsea work, this includes commercial divers, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous vehicles, human-occupied vehicles (submersibles), and even one-atmosphere suits. One does not necessarily need to be formally trained as a commercial diver, or even as an ROV pilot, but it certainly helps!

The SubSea NDT Engineer should also have had formal education in material properties, electronic principles, mathematics, chemistry and corrosion analysis, as well as technical project management. They should also have experience and certifications in advanced NDT methods and techniques such as electromagnetic testing (ET), ultrasonic testing (UT), acoustic emission testing (AE), cathodic protection systems, computed and digital radiography, guided wave ultrasonic, and pipe inspection gauge systems (ILI; in-line-inspection) are also required. This will include attaining professional certifications such as an NDT Level III from ASNT or PCN Level III certification through BINDT.

A SubSea NDT Engineer must also be very familiar with regulatory and international standards requirements that come from organizations such as ASME, American Petroleum Institute (API), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), American Welding Society (AWS), and Det Norske Veritas (DNV GL), for example. Attaining professional certifications from these organizations in welding and pipeline inspection are also very desirable.

Part of a SubSea NDT Engineer’s job is to know both the engineering functions as well as have technical NDT training, on-the-job experience (OJT), and certification. Certification refers to the written testament to one’s qualifications in a practical manner. So what then is “qualification”? A qualification is defined as “the condition(s) that must be fulfilled before a rite can be acquired.”

Interaction between NDT and other engineering functions, knowledge of the consequences of failure, and the contribution of NDT to asset management and life extension are the main functions of an NDT Engineer. Most engineers of a system know why and where their components need to be inspected, but not necessarily “how” the inspection should take place, or the best possible technique to use to find the damage mechanisms that are of interest. That’s where the subject matter expert (SME), an NDT technician, comes into play. A properly trained, certified, and qualified NDT technician should know how to inspect a component properly, but not necessarily why it needs to be done. NDT Engineers bridge the gap between being both a competent engineer AND a subject matter expert. They can apply design process, including materials selection, that meet NDT and construction standards, perform root cause analysis, fracture mechanics and failure analysis, and employ learning from experience (LFE) processes.

Attaining experience is imperative, but one must also apply the experience gained. A SubSea NDT Engineer should have advanced skills in NDT methods substantiating their lead competency role within the subsea sector, but also be able to work in ALL sectors, such as aerospace, nuclear, etc. An NDT Engineer must critically apply knowledge of concepts, principles, and theories of developing technology relevant to the interdisciplinary fields of NDT. They must analyze engineering problems, selecting and using mathematical and theoretical data to provide suitable NDT solutions with consideration of the entire inspection cycle. And finally, they must apply engineering knowledge to the development, operation, maintenance, and progression of technologies used for NDT.

Applications

Topside/Inland

Yes, SubSea NDT Engineers work topside as well. A vast majority of education, training, and practical experience is applied topside first, before it is modified for use in underwater or subsea environments. We know that a lot of the technology we use in the field of NDT, especially within the ultrasonic and radiographic testing methods, first were introduced and used in the medical field before being appropriated and modified for use in the industrial applications we are more familiar with in NDT. The same can be said for these technologies being modified even further for use in underwater environments.

Most assets that are in subsea or underwater environments either have or are connected to topside components in some form. These include offshore platforms, vessels, ships, barges, risers, pipeline, bridges, docks, berths, above ground storage tanks, water towers, water intake facilities, amusement parks, hydroelectric dams, and yes, even nuclear reactor pools. The list goes on and on. It is important for one to have a solid grasp of the technologies and tools available to them topside first, before trying to be effective in utilizing them in a more confined and less accessible habitat. Most of the work underwater is not in nice, clear, warm, tropical locals, but in uncomfortable locations with little to no visibility. A SubSea NDT Engineer needs to master their trade, both above and below the waterline.

Offshore

Offshore oil platforms and pipeline seem to be what first comes to mind when thinking of NDT inspection of subsea or underwater assets. It is a very large industry, with the Gulf of Mexico alone holding over 80% of all billable underwater commercial diving hours worldwide. The inspections encompassed therein are not just your traditional NDT methods. Yes, there are a lot of visual and ultrasonic thickness measurements being performed, and even underwater magnetic particle inspections (although alternating current field measurement [ACFM] is becoming more common), but in these remote locations—especially in zero-visibility or hard to access environments—advanced NDT methods have been gradually taking over. This is also the case for use of ROVs, where technology is being implemented to reduce the human factor, not only for increased confidence in acquisition of quality data, but also for reduction in human exposure to dangerous situations. Advanced NDT methods for underwater applications now being seen in the industry include automated ultrasonic testing, shear wave and phased array ultrasonic (Figure 1) for full volumetric weld inspections as well as corrosion mapping or crack detection and sizing, electromagnetic testing techniques such as pulsed eddy current and ACFM, computed and digital radiography, cathodic protection and potential readings, pipe inspections gauges, and advanced sonar, ultrasonic, and acoustic 3D imagining systems.

Changes in the SubSea Sector

There is a growing need to change the status quo of how underwater or subsea assets have been inspected over the past few decades. For most industries, assets that are underwater are “out of sight and out of mind”. This is not always the case, but for many years this was true. Today we can see a change has already started, but unfortunately, this drive is partly due to major catastrophic events that often hit the mainstream news (we will not go into any detail on those here).

Subsea assets are naturally in a more invasive environment, and their failure can cause significant impact not only on a company’s bottom line, but also on the environment in which they reside. This would naturally drive more periodic surveillance of said assets, as their failure is more detrimental. Since these assets are in a more hazardous habitat, it would then lead one to believe that it would take a more skilled and experienced technician to conduct such inspections. This is not always the case; in fact, most of these inspections are kicked over to commercial diving companies, deploying a “jack-of-all-trades” diver to perform whatever NDT task is being called for by the owner.

Typically, no one would give a rock-climber an ultrasonic thickness scope and have them climb up their flare tower to take UT thickness readings on a pipeline—not without the proper training, documented experience hours, verified qualifications, and in-date certifications to do so. Likewise, the industry should not be tossing a UT scope in the hands of a diver to do the same underwater. Diving, ROV piloting, and rope access are not, in themselves, qualifications to perform adequate inspections. They each are simply a vehicle to get the qualified and certified inspector to the location of the work. Often, especially over the past 40 years, these types of inspections have been inadequate and do not supply the type of quality data needed to aptly assess a system’s current performance, simply due to a culture and history of allowing the “underwater guys” to do the underwater work without holding them to the same standards and practices required for everything else accomplished topside, in full view. If subsea inspections are more difficult to carry out, on assets whose failure are potentially detrimental and/or catastrophic, wouldn’t it seem obvious that we should demand inspections by personnel who are specialized in the utilization of those specific tools and technologies therein?

Case Example

This is a simple example, and one chosen because it has been seen to be the abused over the years. According to most codes, ultrasonic thickness measurements cannot be accepted by a unit with only a digital thickness readout, but must be completed with either a flaw detector or a machine able to produce an ultrasonic A-scan in conjunction with a digital readout (Figure 2).

However, up until recently, the technology available for hand-held, underwater UT thickness scopes was limited by design to simply a digital thickness display (Figure 3). This requirement makes complete sense from the fundamental level, as all interpretation and sizing are required to happen from the A-scan data and reading the waveform. Without an A-scan display, we have no way to verify that the digital thickness reading is accurate and repeatable. Most asset owners would also rely on the contractor providing the service to ensure that the personnel using the equipment were properly trained and certified. For most, this meant a simple familiarization with the scope, not a full-fledged internal company NDT program with written practice, procedures, training, certification exams, etc. Other times, they may metaphorically wave a magic wand over the diver that turns them into an “NDT Trainee,” and walk them through manipulating the tool while on site. This way someone may watch through a video monitor, guide them through the process, and sign off on an inspection “well done.” No owner/operator would allow this practice to happen on any of their topside assets, so why has this been allowed to happen underwater for so long?

Organizations Leading the Change

Currently, there are no ASNT or BINDT/ PCN guidelines for underwater NDT inspection personnel training or certification. The only organization currently offering training and certification is from the Certification Scheme for Personnel (CSWIP). These schemes include underwater training for Diver Inspectors (3.1u, 3.2u), ROV Inspector (3.3u), and Underwater Inspection Controller (3.4u). Although this is a great start, these training courses are limited to practical use of traditional NDT methods such as visual/tactile, ultrasonic thickness, magnetic particle, video/still photography, and cathodic potential readings. The change is starting, and now many companies are starting to require personnel holding these certifications in order to conduct inspections on their assets. This trend will continue to grow, as will the need for more underwater inspection personnel with advanced inspection training and professional certifications that are internationally accepted and recognized.

There are also now more reference guides being published and used over the past few years that attempt to establish guidelines for certain sectors of the industry. The International Institute of Welding (TIIW) published a report in 1999 titled Non-Destructive Examination of Underwater Welded Steel Structures¹. Although the information was very basic, it was able to introduce people to the idea that many traditional NDT methods could be suitably used underwater for the inspection of welded steel structures.  Since then, many more publications have come out with updated information and technologies we can see being used today, including Subsea Pipeline Integrity and Risk Management², Subsea Inspection Controller³, and Image-Based Damage Assessment for Underwater Inspections⁴. Apart from independently published guides by subject matter experts, societies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers has started to produce publications like their Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment⁵.

Conclusion

So, why the need for specialized SubSea NDT engineers? In today’s world, the expected answer is always “SAFETY”! Yes, that is a part of it, but, as in most every industry, it all boils down to economical benefits. Hire one person who can do the job of two, or more, people. SubSea NDT Engineers bridge the gap between knowing what needs to get done and knowing the most practical and economical way to accomplish that goal. SubSea NDT Engineers can affect increased production and lower maintenance costs by their technical understanding of codes and regulations coupled with their experience and expertise in advanced inspection technologies and methodologies specific to a subsea or underwater environment. They also lead to a reduction in overall inspection durations by deploying the most practical and efficient inspection techniques to acquire the most relevant data. That in turn increases the reliability and usability of that data. A combination of the above will not only will it increase safety, but revenues as well. A more efficient “bottom-time” is a maximized “bottom-line.”

References

1. Davey, V.S., O. Forli, G.A. Raine, and R. Whillock, 1999, Non-destructive Examination of Underwater Welded Steel Structures, Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge, England
2. Bai, Yong and Qiang Bai, 2014, Subsea Pipeline Integrity and Risk Management, Gulf Professional Publishing, Houston, TX
3. Clancy, A., 2017, Subsea Inspection Controller, #inspector2U, inspector2u.wixsite.com/website
4. O’Byrne, Michael, Bidisha Ghosh, Franck Schoefs, and Vikram Pakrashi, 2019, Image-Based Damage Assessment for Underwater Inspections, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL
5. Waterfront Facility Inspection Committee, 2015, Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment, American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA

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Joshua de Monbrun, CEng, SubSea NDT, LLC, josh@subseandt.com; Technical Authority, MISTRAS Group, Inc., josh.demonbrun@mistrasgroup.com.

For more information on underwater/subsea NDT:

• Available in the ASNT Store, Magnetic Particle Inspection of Fixed Offshore Structures: Inspector/Diver Training, asnt.org/store/
• On Demand Webinar – ASNT Virtual Section Meeting: “Underwater NDT,” from 6 April 2022
• Josh de Monbrun is featured in the SCOPE/AT WORK column in the April 2022 issue of ASNT’s Materials Evaluation
• Chat NDT with ASNT, “NDT Goes Underwater,” February 2022
• “Applications for Underwater Ultrasonic Testing,” ASNT Pulse, 6 January 2021

All photos courtesy of Joshua de Monbrun.