Hydrostatic Hold Point Removed from the ITP
A fabricator of API 6A wellhead housings has issued an inspection and test plan (ITP) for a purchase order requiring PSL 2 and source inspection. The PO states that hydrostatic testing and final dimensional examination are witness points. The ITP lists incoming material review as monitor, magnetic particle examination as hold, heat treatment as monitor, hydrostatic testing as monitor, and final dimensional examination as witness. The supplier explains that hydrostatic testing is scheduled overnight to keep the delivery date, and offers to send a video recording instead of having the inspector present. The inspector has two days on site and must decide how to plan coverage without delaying shipment unnecessarily.
1. Evaluate the ITP against the purchase order and identify the most significant planning deficiency. What should the inspector do before accepting the ITP?
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The key deficiency is the downgrade of hydrostatic testing from the PO-required witness point to a monitor point. Hydrostatic testing is an acceptance test that can invalidate a lot if pressure, hold time, gauge calibration, or test temperature is wrong; video alone does not let the inspector verify gauge identity, calibration status, or test setup in real time. The inspector should not accept the ITP as written. Before approval, the inspector should require the supplier to restore hydrostatic testing as a witness or hold point, confirm the test procedure and gauge calibration records, and agree on a date and time. If the supplier cannot accommodate a witness, the inspector should escalate to the purchaser for a documented deviation rather than silently accept a reduced inspection level.
2. If the supplier insists on overnight testing, what options are technically defensible, and what conditions must accompany each?
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Defensible options are: (1) reschedule testing to a time the inspector can witness, which is preferred because it preserves direct verification; (2) perform the test with an approved remote-witness arrangement only if the purchaser authorizes it and the supplier provides live video with a clear view of the gauge, calibrated gauge tag, test manifold, and chart recorder, plus a signed test record; or (3) accept surveillance of the test by a qualified supplier representative only if the PO or purchaser explicitly permits delegation and the representative's qualification is documented. In all cases the inspector must verify gauge calibration is current, the test pressure and hold time match the approved procedure, and the test record is complete before signing off. Video recording after the fact should not be treated as equivalent to witnessing.
3. How should the inspector document the planning decision and the residual risk?
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The inspector should record the ITP review in the inspection plan or daily report, noting the PO requirement, the supplier's proposed change, the decision made, and the purchaser's approval or rejection of any deviation. If a remote or delegated witness is used, the record should identify who observed the test, what was visible, gauge identification and calibration due date, test parameters, and any limitations. Residual risk should be stated explicitly: for example, indirect verification of gauge calibration and test setup, with reliance on the supplier's test record. The final acceptance package should include the approved ITP revision, the deviation approval if any, and the completed test record so that the basis for acceptance is auditable.