b) flux leakage testing to acceptance level F3/L3 in accordance with ISO 10893-3 or ASTM E570;
c) eddy current testing to acceptance level E3/L3 in accordance with ISO 10893-2 or ASTM E309.
For Grades P110 and Q125, the requirements of K.6.5 (SR 11.5) shall apply.
Additional requirements for PSL-2 and PSL-3 products are given in Annex H. When K.13 (SR 40) is specified in the
purchase agreement for all Grades except P110 and Q125, the additional requirements of K.13 (SR 40) apply.
10.15.11 NDE of Coupling Stock (Except Grade C110), Accessory Material (Except Grade C110) and Pup
Joints (All Grades)
10.15.11.1 When NDE is required for coupling stock or accessory material, except Grade C110, according to Table
C.42 or Table E.42, the inspection shall be for the detection of imperfections on the outside surface by one or more of
the following methods:
a) ultrasonic testing to acceptance level as specified in Table C.43 or Table E.43 in accordance with ISO 10893-10 or
ASTM E213;
b) flux leakage testing to acceptance level as specified in Table C.43 or Table E.43 in accordance with ISO 10893-3
or ASTM E570;
c) eddy current concentric coil testing to acceptance level as specified in Table C.43 or Table E.43 in accordance
with ISO 10893-2 or ASTM E309;
d) magnetic particle inspection in accordance with ISO 10893-5 or ASTM E709.
The reference indicators used by the manufacturer to calibrate the compression and shear wave ultrasonic
equipment may be retained in the coupling stock. If the reference indicators are retained in the reference standard,
the outside-wall surface area adjacent to the reference indicators shall be stencilled with the letters “RI”. The
reference indicators shall be considered defects and marked in accordance with 10.15.18 b).
10.15.11.2 Pup joints shall be inspected and meet the same requirements as casing and tubing.
a) For pup joints made from full-length casing and tubing, the required inspection for inside and outside defects shall
take place either before or after cutting into final length, provided there is no subsequent upsetting or heat
treatment.
b) For pup joints machined from pipe or bar stock, the required inspection shall take place either before or after
machining to final product dimensions; however, the outside surface shall be visually inspected subsequent to
being machined to final product dimensions.
c) For all other pup joints, except for those round thread pup joints in d), the required inspection shall be performed
according to a) above.
d) For API round thread pup joints in size designations listed in Table C.2 or Table E.2 for Grades H40, J55, K55,
N80 (all types), R95, L80 (all types), and P110, the required inspections, unless otherwise agreed upon between
purchaser and manufacturer, are as specified in e).
e) For outside surface and end areas, the required inspection shall be performed following any upset process and
final heat treatment. For Grade P110 pup joints, magnetic particle inspection for the detection of longitudinal and
transverse defects may be substituted for the required outside surface inspection.
Additional requirements for PSL-2 and PSL-3 products are given in Annex H.
10.15.12 NDE of Coupling Stock and Accessory Material—Grade C110
10.15.12.1 General
All coupling stock and accessory material shall be inspected for the detection of imperfections on the outside and
inside surfaces by one or more of the following methods:
a) ultrasonic testing to acceptance level as specified in Table C.43 or Table E.43 in accordance with ISO 10893-10 or
ASTM E213;
b) flux leakage testing to acceptance level as specified in Table C.43 or Table E.43 in accordance with ISO 10893-3
or ASTM E570;
c) eddy current concentric coil testing to acceptance level as specified in Table C.43 or Table E.43 in accordance
with ISO 10893-2 or ASTM E309;
d) magnetic particle inspection in accordance with ISO 10893-5 or ASTM E709.
10.15.12.2 Permitted Imperfections Before Machining
Coupling stock for couplings that will be fully machined may have imperfections on the unmachined surfaces.
However the final machined surfaces shall meet the specified dimensions and the surface inspection criteria of 9.11
[K.4.3 (SR 9.3)].
10.15.12.3 Further Evaluation
Coupling stock containing imperfections may be given further evaluation in accordance with 10.15.15, except the
maximum size of the non-surface-breaking imperfection specified in 8.13.1 d) shall be reduced to 32 mm2 (0.05 in.2).
Coupling stock containing defects shall either be given a disposition in accordance with 10.15.18, or the section of
coupling stock containing the defect shall be cut off within the limits of the requirements on length specified on the
coupling stock purchase agreement.
10.15.12.4 Ultrasonic Testing—Through-wall
Coupling stock shall be inspected full-body, full-length from the outside surface using ultrasonic compression-wave
techniques to detect and identify imperfections. The reference indicator shall be a 6.4 mm (1/4 in.) flat-bottomed round
hole from the inside surface as shown in Figure D.16 d. The minimum coverage shall be 100 % of the inspected
surface, see 10.15.4.2 a).
10.15.12.5 Ultrasonic Testing—Inside Surface
Coupling stock shall be inspected for longitudinal and transverse imperfections on the inside surface using ultrasonic
shear-wave techniques to acceptance level L3 with a maximum notch length of 25 mm (1 in.). By agreement between
the purchaser and manufacturer, alternative NDE methods which demonstrate the capability to detect the reference
indicators may be used.
10.15.13 Untested Pipe Ends, Coupling Stock Ends, and Accessory Material Ends
The end-area inspections shall be subsequent to all heat treatment.
It is emphasized that in many of the automatic NDE operations specified in this standard, there may be a short length
at each end which cannot be tested. In such cases, the untested ends shall be either:
a) cropped off,
b) subjected to magnetic particle inspection of the outside and inside surfaces around the full periphery and over the
length of the untested ends, or
c) subjected to a manual/semi-automatic test which achieves, as a minimum, the same degree of inspection as the
automatic NDE.
Grade C110 pipe, with the ends treated in accordance with 10.15.13 b), shall be inspected after end finishing (and
before coupling installation on threaded and coupled tubulars) using the wet magnetic particle method, or a method
agreed between the purchaser and manufacturer.
Records shall be maintained in accordance with 10.15.4
Additional requirements for PSL-3 products are given in Annex H.
10.15.14 Pipe Upsets
Forged upsets (including the upset run-out interval) on all grades, except Grades H40, J55, and K55, shall be
subjected, after all heat-treatment operations, to NDE for the detection of transverse defects on the outside and inside
surfaces of the upset, using the criteria given in 8.13. For grades manufactured by the quench-and-temper process,
the end-area inspection shall include inspection for longitudinal defects.
Records in accordance with 10.15.4 shall be maintained.
10.15.15 Pipe, Coupling Stock, and Accessory Material Requiring Further Evaluation
In all cases, indications producing a threshold alarm condition as a result of the specified NDE operation(s) shall have
the indications evaluated in accordance with 10.15.16, unless it can be demonstrated that the imperfection causing
the indication is not a defect as described in 8.13.
10.15.16 Evaluation of Indications (Prove-up)
For an indication which is greater than or equal to the reject threshold, the manufacturer shall either evaluate it in
accordance with the requirements herein (10.15.16) or dispose of the indication as a defect in accordance with
10.15.17. Evaluation of indications shall be performed by NDE Level I certified inspectors under the supervision of
NDE Level II or III certified inspectors, or by NDE Level II or III certified inspectors. Evaluation of indications shall be
performed in accordance with documented procedures.
When no imperfection is found in the area of the original indication and there is no explanation for the indication, then
the product shall be rejected, or at the option of the manufacturer, reinspected full-body, full-length, as required by
Tables C.42/E.42 and 10.15.10 and applicable supplementary requirements, either using the same inspection method
or using ultrasonic inspection methods. At the manufacturer’s option, the inspection equipment shall be adjusted
either to the same sensitivity level as that used to perform the original inspection or to a reduced sensitivity that meets
the specified requirements.
All magnetic particle indications that are produced by leakage fields originating from imperfections shall be evaluated
in accordance with 10.15.16 a).
For the evaluation of an indicated imperfection, the depth shall be measured by one of the following methods:
a) using a mechanical measuring device (for example, pit gauge, callipers, and so forth). Removal of material by
grinding or other means to facilitate measurement shall not, for pipe, reduce the remaining wall thickness below
87.5 % of the specified wall thickness, or for coupling stock, reduce the remaining outside diameter or wall
thickness below the minimum specified in the purchase agreement. Abrupt changes in wall thickness caused by
material removal during prove-up shall be removed.
b) using an ultrasonic technique(s) (time- or amplitude-based, or both), or other comparable techniques. Verification
of the ultrasonic technique(s) shall be documented, and shall show capability to differentiate imperfection sizes
larger and smaller than the appropriate defect size stated in 8.13.
If the purchaser and manufacturer do not agree on the evaluation test results, either party may require destructive
evaluation of the material; after which disposition shall be as described in B.4.
Imperfections that have been evaluated and found to be defects shall be given a disposition in accordance with
10.15.17.
10.15.17 Disposition of Pipe Containing Defects
Imperfections that satisfy the material requirements and are less than the defect size stated in 8.13 are allowed to
remain in the pipe. Repair welding is not permitted.
Pipe containing cracks or quench cracks, or both, within a distance of twice the diameter from the end, may be cut
back only once to remove the cracks. After cutting the pipe, it shall be reinspected full-body, full-length. Where cracks
or quench cracks, or both, are detected at a distance more than twice the diameter from the ends, the pipe shall be
rejected.
Pipe containing defects shall be given one of the following dispositions:
a) Grinding or Machining
Grinding or machining of quench cracks or arc burns is not permitted. Defects shall be completely removed by
grinding or machining, provided the remaining wall thickness is within specified limits. The area affected by
grinding or machining shall be blended smoothly into the contour of the tube. Where the depth of the removal
exceeds 10 % of the specified wall thickness, the remaining wall thickness shall be verified in accordance with
10.13.4. When the defect is located on the inside surface in the external thread section of the pipe body, the depth
of the removal shall not exceed 10 % of the specified wall thickness as measured using a dial depth gauge or
other suitable device, and the length of the removal shall be limited to that which allows for accurate depth
measurement. After removal of the defect, the affected area shall be reinspected to verify that the defect was
completely removed. The reinspection shall be either:
1) by the same inspection unit at the same sensitivity that performed the initial inspection, or
2) by another NDE method, or combination of methods, that demonstrate equal or greater sensitivity than the
original NDE.
When method 2) above is used, the NDE method (or combination of methods) shall be documented and shall
demonstrate equal or greater sensitivity than the original NDE. In addition, method 2) shall address the possibility
that there may be other coincident defects in the affected area.
b) Cut-off
The section of pipe containing the defect shall be cut off within the limits of requirements on length of the intended
product.
c) Rejection
The pipe shall be rejected.
