A leader in asset integrity management and inspection services, Kakivik Asset Management recently held an intro to phased-array class at its Anchorage, Alaska, office. The training was attended by nearly two dozen ultrasound specialists and was conducted by Shane Walton from the University of Ultrasonics. Evident provided the equipment used for the training.

The 40-hour class focused on the application of 0° phased array (PA) for corrosion mapping in the Alaskan oilfields. While North Slope UT inspections have remained largely unchanged over the years, with technicians manually scrubbing pipes of all sizes, the evolution of ultrasonic technology has paved the way for new methods of inspection.

Phased-array training on advanced OmniScan flaw detectors

After an introduction to the theory behind phased array, the participants learned how to set up for angle inspections, primarily for weld inspection. Once the basics were covered, they got to work building a C-scan, which is an X-ray-like image using an encoder connected to a cable that measured the probe’s travel distance.

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