Isam A. Al-Bayat, Saudi Aramco Vice President of Engineering Services, has said, “Inspection in general, and nondestructive testing in particular, can ensure the reliability and integrity of our facilities.” In a keynote address at the Middle East Nondestructive Testing (MENDT) Conference and Exhibition held recently in Manama, Bahrain, Al-Bayat called NDT “the primary method for our industry to detect dangerous defects before they cause catastrophic failure and business interruption.” He enumerated some of the challenges of the hydrocarbon industry and what NDT can do to solve them. Dr. Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza, Bahrain's Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs and chairman of his country"s National Oil and Gas Authority, inaugurated the conference and the exhibition. “The most important challenge the oil companies are facing is the aging infrastructure of current facilities,” Al-Bayat said. "Innovative NDT not only sustains equipment and pipelines but also extends their usefulness. Corrosion is another constant challenge," he added. --MORE
