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Overview of API RP 1169 - Pipeline Construction Inspection

API RP 1169,
Pipeline Construction Inspection, is an industry recommended practice

developed and published by the American Petroleum Institute (API). This
document was originally published in July of 2013, with the latest 2nd Edition
being released in March of 2020. This recommended practice (RP) focuses on
the basic requirements needed to inspect new onshore pipelines in a safe and
reliable manner.
The document outlines the requirements of pipeline inspection into four

sections:
1. Inspector Responsibilities: According to the standard, inspector

responsibilities include planning, monitoring, evaluating, verifying, making
informed decisions, problem solving (e.g. root cause analysis), documenting
and reporting, and communicating effectively with the pipeline construction
team to ensure project is moving forward in a safe and efficient manner.
2. Personnel and General Pipeline Safety: This section describes many of
the basic construction safety requirements outlined by OSHA 29 CFR 1910
- Process Safety Management and 29 CFR 1926 - Safety and Health
Regulations for Construction.
3. Environmental and Pollution Control: Inspectors are also required to
comply with environmental and pollution control regulations. This includes
acquiring appropriate local, state, and/or federal permits before construction, if
necessary. The importance of environmental and pollution control is to enhance
the quality of water, land, and air. Therefore, it’s important that pipeline
inspectors have a basic understanding of agricultural impacts, air and water
quality, water supply, water management, emissions, soil erosion, and waste
management.
4. General Pipeline Construction: Inspectors are required to be
knowledgeable about the differences between compliance and requirements in
terms of general pipeline and construction projects. Again, it’s the inspector's
responsibility to document and report observations throughout all stages of the
project.1
API 1169 Inspector Certification
The motivation for developing API RP 1169 was to provide the oil and gas
industry with a program to identify qualified pipeline inspectors. Inspectors
with a thorough understanding of the recommended practice help to promote
industry safety and environmentally-safe practices. The API 1169 - Pipeline
Construction Inspector Certification program is offered through
API’s Individual Certification Program (ICP).
New and existing upstream oil and gas production has created a recent boom in
pipeline construction projects. Therefore, a certification program was created in
2014 to meet the growing demand for competent and experienced pipeline
construction inspectors. Qualifications are based on a combination of years of
experience and education. In order to maintain certification, pipeline inspectors
must apply for recertification every 3 years.
Qualification
In order to take the exam, applicants must meet minimum education and
experience requirements. For API 1169, experience relating to inspection and
non-inspection activities are considered. Additionally, API considers whether
those experiences were performed in the oil and gas industry or other related
industries such as civil construction, mining, heavy equipment operating, etc.
Applicants with Pipeline Inspection Experience

Applicants with no formal education must acquire at least 3 years of pipeline
inspection experience before applying to take the exam. Applicants with a 2 year
degree or 2 years of military service in a technical role may apply after acquiring
2 years of pipeline inspection experience. Pipeline inspection activities typically
include utility inspection, pressure and leak testing, welding inspection, coating
inspection, and safety inspection.
Applicants with General Oil & Gas Inspection Experience

For applicants with general oil and gas inspection experience, a person must
have 4 years of industry experience if he/she has a high school diploma or
equivalent. Personnel with a 2 year degree or higher and 3 years of industry
experience may also take the exam. General inspection experience includes
equipment, in-service, visual, welding, tank and source inspection. Experience
in nondestructive examination (NDE) and pressure/leak testing also
qualifies under this category.
Applicants with Non-Inspection Pipeline Experience
For applications with non-inspection pipeline experience and a high school
diploma or equivalent, a minimum of 5 years of industry service is required to
take the exam. Personnel with a 2 year degree or more must have at least 4 years
of experience. Non-inspection roles and responsibilities that qualify under this
category include: pipeline construction, surveying and operation, welding,
fitting, coating, heavy equipment operation, and supervising pipeline safety.
Applicants with General Oil & Gas Industry Experience

An applicant with a minimum or 4 years of general oil and gas experience
acquired at any petrochemical refinery or plant (with at least 1 year of pipeline
experience) and any certification from AWS, CWB, NACE (Level II or higher),
API, ASNT (Level II or higher) may take the exam. If applicant has no pipeline
specific experience, a minimum of 6 years of general oil and gas experience is
required plus any certification previously listed.
Applicants with Experience in Other Heavy Industries

An applicant with a 2 year degree or higher with experience outside the oil and
gas industry must acquire a minimum or 5 years of heavy industry experience. If
an application does not have secondary education, he/she must have 8 years of
heavy industry experience and any certification from AWS, CWB, NACE (Level
II or higher), API, or ASNT (Level II or higher). Industries include, but are not
limited to, road and civil construction, mining, logging, blasting, and heavy
equipment operation.

Article - API 1169 - Overview

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Article - API 1169 - Overview

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Overview of API RP 1169 - Pipeline Construction Inspection

Pipeline Construction Inspection, is an industry recommended practice

The document outlines the requirements of pipeline inspection into four

1. Inspector Responsibilities: According to the standard, inspector

Applicants with Pipeline Inspection Experience

Applicants with General Oil & Gas Inspection Experience

Applicants with General Oil & Gas Industry Experience

Applicants with Experience in Other Heavy Industries

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