API 570 Piping Inspection Support in Michigan

Short answer: In Michigan, API 570 inspection of refinery, chemical and process-plant piping is directed, evaluated and signed by the owner's API 570 Authorized Inspector (AI). Atlantis NDT performs the nondestructive examinations that plan requires: UT thickness at condition monitoring locations (CMLs), automated corrosion mapping, profile radiography, guided-wave screening, CUI follow-up and PAUT or TOFD on welds. Atlantis performs the NDE; your API 570 Authorized Inspector remains inspector of record and signs the inspection report.

Michigan's piping population is less refinery-heavy than the Gulf Coast's and more chemical-heavy than most people expect. One large refinery in Detroit runs heavy Canadian crude through a coker; the chemical complex at Midland and plants along the Detroit River handle chlorine, caustic, solvents and specialty intermediates; polysilicon manufacturing near Saginaw runs chlorosilane and hydrogen chloride service; and the state holds more underground natural gas storage capacity than any other, with compressor stations whose piping sits right on the boundary between plant and pipeline rules. Over all of it lie Great Lakes winters, freeze-thaw cycles and lake-effect snow. This hub explains where API 570 piping is in Michigan, how the code frames the work, which NDE methods suit Michigan services, how MIOSHA, the Michigan Public Service Commission and PHMSA divide responsibility, and what Atlantis delivers to your AI. To start, request an NDE scope for your AI's inspection plan.

Where API 570 piping is in Michigan

Direct answer: Michigan's process piping is concentrated at the Detroit refinery and the Downriver industrial corridor, at the Midland chemical complex and Saginaw Valley plants, at chemical and power plants along the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, at gas storage and compressor sites across the Lower Peninsula, and at products terminals, ethanol plants and food processors statewide.

Detroit refinery and the Downriver corridor

Marathon Petroleum's Detroit refinery in southwest Detroit is Michigan's only operating refinery. Its heavy oil upgrade project, completed in 2012, added coking and related capacity so the refinery could run heavy Canadian crude. That moves the API 570 damage list toward high-temperature sulfidation in crude, vacuum and coker piping, erosion in coker and slurry lines, and ammonium salt and chloride corrosion in hydroprocessing effluent systems, alongside sour water and amine service. Downriver communities along the Detroit River, from River Rouge and Ecorse to Wyandotte and Trenton, host chemical plants, steel mills, power stations and terminals with their own process and utility piping. Industrial fill and a high water table make buried transitions and soil-to-air interfaces recurring CML locations.

Midland, Bay City and the Saginaw Valley

The chemical complex at Midland is one of the largest in the Great Lakes region, built on brine chemistry and now producing a broad slate of chemicals, silicones and specialty materials. Piping there carries chlorinated and caustic services, solvents, monomers and steam. Near Saginaw, polysilicon manufacturing uses chlorosilanes and hydrogen chloride, services where moisture ingress produces acids that attack carbon steel quickly. Bay City and Essexville add terminals and port facilities on the Saginaw River. Chemical owners frequently adopt API 570 and RP 574 practices for flammable and toxic services, even though the plants are not refineries, and use simpler programmes for utilities. Whether a line is in scope is the owner's decision.

St. Clair River and the Blue Water area

The St. Clair River faces Ontario's Sarnia refining and petrochemical cluster, and Michigan's side holds power plants, terminals and pipeline facilities that cross to Canada. Crude and natural gas liquids pipelines, including Enbridge's Line 5 from the Straits of Mackinac and Line 78 across southern Michigan, deliver toward Sarnia, so pipeline stations and terminals here are boundary country between API 570 piping and PHMSA-regulated pipelines.

Gas storage and compressor stations

Michigan's geology gives it the largest underground natural gas storage capacity in the United States, with storage fields and compressor stations across the Lower Peninsula. Station piping, dehydration and processing equipment, and the lines that connect wells to compressors are mostly regulated under the federal gas pipeline rules (49 CFR Part 192), not API 570, but some owners apply API 570 and RP 574 techniques to station piping by choice. The fire at a Consumers Energy compressor station during the January 2019 polar vortex showed how much of the state's winter supply depends on that equipment.

Terminals, ethanol and food processing

Products terminals around Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and northern Michigan have manifold, pump and loading piping. Ethanol plants in the southern Lower Peninsula run ethanol, denaturant and process piping, and food and beverage plants use ammonia refrigeration systems. Nuclear plant piping at Michigan's nuclear stations follows nuclear in-service rules and is outside this page.

What API 570 requires, in plain terms

Direct answer: API 570 sets the rules for in-service inspection, repair, alteration and rerating of metallic process piping and its pressure-relieving devices. Owners organise piping into circuits, classify each by the consequence of a leak, monitor CMLs where damage is expected, and schedule inspections by class and remaining life or by a qualifying RBI programme. The AI evaluates the findings and signs.

The current edition is the fifth, published in February 2024 alongside a reissued API RP 574. API's summary of the update lists a defined Inspection Supervisor role, stronger pressure-relieving device requirements and new rules on deferring inspection repair recommendations. Work from a licensed copy; the versions found online are usually long superseded. In our own words, the parts that drive an NDE scope:

• Roles. The code assumes access to an authorized inspection agency, a repair organisation and qualified piping engineers, inspectors and examiners. The authorized piping inspector evaluates and decides; examiners measure and document.
• Scope. Hydrocarbon, chemical and other flammable or toxic services are covered, while water, steam and condensate are optional. API 570 is not a substitute for ASME B31.3 before piping enters service.
• Service classes. Class 1 holds services where a leak could quickly become an emergency, which the 1998 edition illustrated with examples including rapidly vaporising light hydrocarbons and anhydrous hydrogen chloride; Class 2 covers most unit piping; Class 3 lower-consequence flammable and off-site lines; later editions add a Class 4. Check the current edition's definitions for chlorinated and acid services.
• Intervals. Thickness is due at the shorter of half the remaining life or the class maximum. Industry summaries of current editions list five years for Class 1 thickness and external, ten and five for Class 2, and ten and ten for Class 3; the 1998 edition used the same Class 1 to 3 values and a three-year thickness maximum for injection points. Confirm with your AI against the current edition.
• CMLs. CML density rises with consequence, corrosion rate and the chance of localised attack, and CMLs go at injection points, deadlegs, small-bore connections, insulated sections, spec breaks and soil-to-air interfaces.
• Rates, repairs and rerating. Long-term and short-term rates come from CML history and the governing rate sets remaining life; the inspector authorises repairs and the piping engineer joins alterations and rerates.

Atlantis can calculate corrosion rates and remaining life from its own thickness data for the AI's review; interval decisions stay with the AI and owner under the code and Michigan rules. Background: API 570 code requirements, what triggers an internal piping inspection and API 510 vs API 570.

Heavy crude, chlorinated services and winter: the Michigan damage picture

Direct answer: Michigan programmes combine refinery hot-piping damage from heavy, sour crude with chemical-plant mechanisms such as acid attack where chlorinated services meet moisture, chloride cracking of stainless and caustic cracking, all under a climate that drives CUI, freeze damage and fast coating breakdown.

Sulfidation and coker service. High-temperature sulfidation thins carbon steel in hot circuits at rates that depend on sulfur, temperature and, for carbon steel, silicon content, so individual components in the same circuit can corrode at very different rates. Many owners therefore call for component-by-component thickness coverage and material verification on susceptible circuits. Erosion in coker and slurry lines favours scanning on elbows and reducers.

Chlorinated and acid services. Chlorine, hydrogen chloride and chlorosilane systems are generally benign when bone-dry and aggressive when moisture gets in, which concentrates damage at leaks, low points, purges and process upsets. Dense CML grids and corrosion mapping at those spots, plus attention to small-bore and instrument connections, give the AI the data to see it.

Caustic and stainless cracking. Caustic service raises caustic stress corrosion cracking concerns at welds and bends that saw elevated temperature, and stainless piping under wet insulation can suffer chloride cracking. PT, MT and PAUT examinations follow the AI's plan.

Winter. Freeze-thaw cycles crack jacketing and let water into insulation, failed heat tracing leaves lines in the CUI temperature band, and water in deadlegs and drains freezes and splits pipe. Road salt adds chlorides near roadways and parking areas. Spring walkdowns and CUI follow-up belong in every Michigan plan.

NDE methods for API 570 work in Michigan

Direct answer: UT thickness at CMLs carries the programme with component-level coverage on sulfidation circuits; corrosion mapping covers injection points and wet-acid locations; profile RT handles small-bore and insulated lines; guided-wave screening covers rack and crossing runs; PAUT or TOFD and PT or MT cover cracking.

Michigan is not an NRC Agreement State; the NRC's Region III office licenses radioactive materials, including industrial radiography sources, while the state regulates X-ray equipment. RT on Michigan sites is performed only by crews holding the appropriate licence; confirm the current licensing authority when RT is planned. Method choice follows the circuit's damage mechanisms, as covered in our API 571 damage mechanisms guide.

How Atlantis supports your Authorized Inspector

Direct answer: We perform the NDE in the AI's plan and deliver traceable data the AI can evaluate: Level III-reviewed procedures, ASNT SNT-TC-1A certified technicians, on-site comparison with history and a digital report organised by circuit and CML. We are not an Authorized Inspection Agency and we do not supply API-certified inspectors.

1. Scope from the plan. Circuits, isometrics, CMLs, damage mechanisms, methods and coverage come from the AI's plan, including component-level sulfidation surveys where the owner requires them.
2. Procedures. An ASNT NDT Level III prepares or reviews each technique against the owner's specification: high-temperature UT on hot lines, cold-weather couplants and temperature correction in winter, profile RT on insulated lines.
3. Fieldwork. Crews are mobilised to your site; the schedule is agreed during scoping around permits, unit status and weather.
4. Data QA. Readings are compared with previous surveys before demobilising; unexplained loss, inaccessible CMLs and mismatched IDs are re-shot or flagged.
5. Report. CML readings, C-scans, radiographs, screening results with follow-up, calibration records and technician certifications in our digital reporting platform.
6. AI evaluation and sign-off. The AI assesses rates, remaining life and next dates, decides on repairs and signs.
7. Next interval. CML identifiers and reading patterns carry forward for like-for-like comparison.

Risk-based inspection and fitness-for-service assessments are performed by the owner's engineers or a specialist using our data; Atlantis does not offer them. More on our scope: API 570 piping NDE support and piping circuit and CML inspection.

Michigan regulations that sit on top of API 570

Direct answer: No Michigan statute sets API 570 intervals. MIOSHA enforces process safety management through Part 91, which adopts the federal PSM standard, with API 570 the usual good practice for piping. The Michigan Public Service Commission regulates intrastate gas pipelines; PHMSA regulates hazardous-liquid pipelines directly. Confirm current requirements with each agency.

MIOSHA Part 91, process safety management

Michigan operates its own occupational safety State Plan, and MIOSHA's Part 91, Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, adopts 29 CFR 1910.119 so that its provisions have the same force as rules made under the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act. The mechanical-integrity element applies to piping systems and their components, relief and vent systems: written procedures, inspection and testing that follow recognised and generally accepted good engineering practice, frequencies consistent with that practice and operating experience, documented results and correction of deficiencies before further use or in a safe and timely manner. At the Detroit refinery and covered chemical processes, API 570 is the practice most owners cite for piping. EPA's Risk Management Program applies where listed substances exceed thresholds. Confirm the current Part 91 text with MIOSHA.

Pipelines: MPSC, PHMSA and the plant fence

The Michigan Public Service Commission inspects intrastate natural gas pipelines under PHMSA certification, and its jurisdiction reaches gas storage field and compressor station facilities operated by intrastate utilities. Its pipeline-safety programme does not cover hazardous-liquid lines, so PHMSA enforces hazardous-liquid pipeline safety in Michigan directly, including Enbridge's crude and NGL lines and the products pipelines. The federal hazardous-liquid rule (49 CFR Part 195) excludes in-plant piping at refineries and certain terminal transfer piping, and the gas rule (49 CFR Part 192) has its own boundaries at processing plants. Piping inside the fence stays under API 570 and PSM; the pipeline follows Part 195 or Part 192. Launchers, receivers, meter stations and station yard piping are where the operator documents the boundary. Pipeline-side NDE is on our pipeline inspection page.

EGLE: spill prevention and air rules

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy administers the Part 5 rules on spillage of oil and polluting materials, which require secondary containment and a Pollution Incident Prevention Plan at facilities storing polluting materials above threshold quantities where a release could reach water. Air permits and leak detection and repair programmes are also EGLE matters. None of these sets API 570 intervals, but PIPP commitments and LDAR findings often feed the AI's list of piping to examine.

Boilers, pressure vessels and tanks

Michigan's boiler programme in the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs covers boilers rather than process piping, and LARA's Bureau of Fire Services regulates aboveground flammable liquid storage installations. Vessel and tank outages often share windows with piping work; see the companion hubs for API 510 pressure vessel inspection in Michigan and API 653 tank inspection in Michigan.

Planning around turnarounds and Great Lakes winters

Direct answer: Run on-stream CML surveys, mapping and screening from spring to autumn, keep insulation removal out of deep winter where the AI allows, plan spring walkdowns for freeze and CUI damage, and book turnaround NDE early because Great Lakes refineries and chemical plants draw on a shared regional technician pool.

• Spring: post-winter external walkdowns, freeze checks on deadlegs and small-bore piping, and CUI follow-up where tracing or jacketing failed.
• Summer and early autumn: insulation removal and recoating campaigns, guided-wave screening of racks and crossings, component-level sulfidation surveys on hot circuits accessible on-stream.
• Pre-turnaround: on-stream UT and injection-point mapping so spools and repair procedures are ready before the outage.
• Turnaround: PAUT or TOFD on repair and tie-in welds, profile RT on small-bore, internal visual where lines are open, and baselines on replacement piping.
• Winter: UT continues with suitable couplant and temperature correction on dry, ice-free surfaces; heated enclosures help where the work cannot wait.

Gas storage operators typically inject through the summer and withdraw through the winter, so station work is usually easiest in the shoulder seasons.

API 570 piping inspection support across Michigan

Direct answer: Atlantis supports API 570 programmes from Detroit and Downriver to Midland, the Saginaw Valley, the St. Clair River and western and northern Michigan. Crews are mobilised to your site and the schedule is agreed during scoping; the Detroit pages below give more detail.

• Detroit and Downriver: piping inspection in Detroit and corrosion inspection in Detroit.
• Related equipment and independent support: pressure vessel inspection in Detroit, tank inspection in Detroit and third-party inspection in Detroit.
• Midland, Bay City and Saginaw: chemical, polysilicon and terminal piping.
• St. Clair River: power, terminal and pipeline-station piping.
• Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Flint: terminals, ethanol, food processing and utilities.
• Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula: terminals, gas facilities and industrial plants.

Statewide services are on NDT inspection services in Michigan; Level III support on NDT consulting in Michigan; and technician skills on ASNT NDT training in Michigan.

Keeping piping history usable

Direct answer: We keep your circuit and CML numbering, record the reading pattern, instrument and calibration for each CML, and deliver data that loads into your inspection database, so corrosion rates remain trustworthy. Optional digital twin and ERP views are available.

Michigan chemical sites often have piping installed and modified over many decades by different owners and contractors. Where historical readings do not match a location or pattern, we flag the mismatch instead of producing a misleading rate. New CMLs are photographed and described so the next crew finds them. Results can be viewed in a digital twin of the unit, and certificates, calibrations and work orders can be tracked in our inspection-management ERP. Sample layouts are on NDT report templates, and construction-code background is in ASME B31.3 explained.

What to send us for a Michigan quote

Direct answer: Send the circuit list and isometrics, the last API 570 report, the AI's plan, insulation and access details, and your dates. We reply with questions or a scope, and a quote within 24 hours of having what we need.

1. Circuit list with service class, material, size, schedule, temperature and pressure.
2. Isometrics with CMLs, injection points, deadlegs, small-bore connections and insulated or traced sections marked.
3. The last API 570 report and thickness history, or confirmation of a baseline.
4. The AI's plan and damage mechanisms of concern, such as sulfidation, wet chloride acid attack, caustic cracking or CUI.
5. Access, scaffolding, insulation and temperature constraints, and whether any lines sit at a pipeline boundary.
6. Dates, turnaround windows and site safety requirements.

Send us your circuit list and we will scope the NDE against your AI's plan.

Frequently asked questions: API 570 in Michigan

Who does API 570 piping inspection in Michigan?

The owner's API 570 Authorized Piping Inspector, employed by the owner or an inspection agency, directs, evaluates and signs. Qualified examiners take the measurements. Atlantis performs the NDE and delivers documented results to your AI, who remains inspector of record.

Does Michigan law require API 570?

No Michigan statute names API 570. MIOSHA Part 91 adopts the federal PSM standard, which requires piping inspection following recognised good engineering practice, and API 570 is the practice most owners use. Confirm your obligations with MIOSHA.

Who regulates pipelines and gas storage in Michigan?

The Michigan Public Service Commission covers intrastate gas pipelines and related facilities under PHMSA certification; PHMSA enforces hazardous-liquid pipeline safety directly. In-plant refinery piping stays under API 570 and PSM.

How often does refinery piping need inspection under API 570?

Thickness at the shorter of half the remaining life or the class maximum, and external visual by class, unless a qualifying RBI programme applies. The 1998 edition gave five years for Class 1 thickness; confirm current values with your AI.

How do you inspect piping in chlorinated or HCl service?

Following the AI's plan, with dense CML grids and corrosion mapping at low points, purge connections and other places where moisture can enter, plus profile RT on small-bore. Access and PPE follow the site's rules for the service.

Can UT be done in a Michigan winter?

Yes, with couplants rated for the temperature, temperature correction and dry, ice-free surfaces. Insulation removal is better scheduled from spring to autumn to avoid creating new CUI.

Is Atlantis an Authorized Inspector?

No. We are not an Authorized Inspection Agency and we do not supply API-certified inspectors. We supply independent NDE data to the AI who signs.

Who licenses industrial radiography in Michigan?

Michigan is not an NRC Agreement State, so the NRC's Region III office licenses radioactive sources; the state regulates X-ray equipment. RT is performed only by properly licensed crews.

What certifications do your NDE technicians hold?

ASNT SNT-TC-1A certification under our written practice, with ASNT NDT Level III oversight; certificates and calibration records come with every report.

Do you offer RBI, fitness-for-service or API 570 training?

No. RBI and FFS are performed by the owner's engineers or specialists using our data, and we train only to ASNT SNT-TC-1A. See the API inspector career guide or ASNT Level III training.

How quickly can you mobilise to Detroit or Midland?

We quote within 24 hours of receiving scope information; mobilisation is agreed during scoping around permits, unit schedules and weather.

Next step

For a sulfidation survey, CMLs coming due, spring CUI follow-up or turnaround NDE, get a quote within 24 hours or book a scoping call. Atlantis performs the NDE; your API 570 Authorized Inspector remains inspector of record and signs the inspection report.

More Atlantis NDT services in Michigan

• NDT training and certification in Michigan
• Level III consulting in Michigan
• NDT inspection services in Michigan
• API 653 storage tank inspection support in Michigan
• API 510 pressure vessel inspection support in Michigan
• NDT ERP software in Michigan
• Practical NDT simulator in Michigan

Part of the wider piping circuit inspection service at Atlantis NDT.