API 653 Tank Inspection Support in Texas

Short answer: An API 653 inspection of a Texas aboveground storage tank combines monthly owner checks, a formal external inspection, shell thickness surveys and, when the tank comes out of service, an internal inspection of the floor, shell and welds. The owner's API 653 Authorized Inspector plans the inspection, evaluates the data and signs the report. Atlantis performs the NDE behind it: floor MFL scanning with UT prove-up, shell UT, weld examination and settlement data.

Texas holds more field-erected storage tankage than any other state, and it is spread across very different operating environments: refinery and terminal tank farms on the Houston Ship Channel, crude export terminals in Corpus Christi, breakout tanks on long-haul pipelines, and gathering-system tanks scattered across the Permian Basin. Since 2023 the state has also built its own tank-safety layer on top of API 653 through the TCEQ Aboveground Storage Vessel Safety Program. This page explains where the tanks are, what the code asks for, which NDE methods produce the data, and exactly where Atlantis fits. Atlantis performs the NDE; your API 653 Authorized Inspector remains inspector of record and signs the inspection report. If you already have a tank list, send it to us for a Texas API 653 NDE quote.

Where API 653 tanks are in Texas

Direct answer: Texas API 653 tankage concentrates in five places: the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay terminal and refinery belt, the Beaumont-Port Arthur-Nederland corridor, the Corpus Christi and Ingleside crude export hub, pipeline breakout and gathering terminals in the Permian Basin, and smaller product terminals serving Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. Each region brings a different tank population and a different inspection rhythm.

Houston Ship Channel, Pasadena, Deer Park, Baytown and Texas City

The channel from the Port of Houston turning basin out to Morgan's Point is lined with independent storage terminals in Pasadena, Galena Park, Deer Park and Channelview, plus the tank farms of large refineries in Baytown, Deer Park, Pasadena and Texas City and the chemical complexes around La Porte and Freeport. The tanks range from very large crude and gasoline tanks with external floating roofs to stainless and lined chemical tanks, heated asphalt and fuel-oil tanks, and small insulated specialty tanks. Terminals here change service often as customers and products change, so a tank's inspection history matters as much as its current product. The 2019 tank-farm fire at Deer Park, which burned for days, is part of the reason the state now regulates tank integrity directly at refineries, petrochemical plants and bulk terminals.

Beaumont, Port Arthur and Nederland

The Golden Triangle combines some of the largest refineries in North America with crude and product terminals along the Neches River and Sabine-Neches Waterway, including the large crude storage hub at Nederland that connects Gulf Coast refineries with pipelines from West Texas and the Midcontinent. Many tanks here are big-diameter crude tanks where floor condition and the critical zone near the shell dominate the internal inspection.

Corpus Christi and Ingleside

Over the past decade the Port of Corpus Christi has become one of the country's main crude export gateways, fed by pipelines from the Permian and Eagle Ford. That built a large population of relatively new crude tanks at Ingleside and on the Inner Harbor alongside older refinery tankage. Newer tanks are approaching their first internal inspections, which is when corrosion rates are established for the first time and the quality of the baseline data shapes every interval that follows.

Permian Basin, Midland, Crane and Wink

West Texas holds pipeline origin and breakout terminals at hubs such as Midland, Crane, Wink and Colorado City, plus thousands of production and gathering tanks. Breakout tanks on regulated hazardous-liquid pipelines fall under federal pipeline-safety rules that call up API 653 directly. Produced water, H2S and microbial corrosion are common floor and bottom-shell concerns, and long drives between sites mean scopes are best planned as multi-tank campaigns.

North, Central and South Texas product terminals

Refined-product terminals and rail-served storage around Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Waco and the Rio Grande Valley receive gasoline, diesel and jet fuel by pipeline. They are smaller and more numerous, frequently operate with lean staff, and often need a full external inspection campaign planned across several sites in one mobilisation.

What API 653 requires, in plain terms

Direct answer: API 653 (Fifth Edition, with addenda through Addendum 4 of July 2025) covers in-service inspection, repair, alteration and reconstruction of welded and riveted atmospheric steel tanks built to API 650 or its predecessor API 12C. It sets three levels of inspection: routine in-service checks by owner personnel, formal external inspections by an API 653 Authorized Inspector, and internal out-of-service inspections focused on the bottom.

Routine in-service inspections are visual checks by trained owner or operator staff. The code frames the interval around site conditions but sets one month as the maximum. They look for leaks, shell distortion, settlement signs, coating failure, roof and seal problems and foundation erosion.

External inspections are carried out by the Authorized Inspector at least every five years, or sooner where the shell corrosion rate shortens the interval: the code ties the external interval to a quarter of the remaining shell corrosion life when that is shorter than five years. External inspections cover the shell, roof, nozzles, appurtenances, foundation, grounding and visible settlement.

Shell ultrasonic thickness measurements have their own interval. Where the shell corrosion rate is not known, the maximum is five years; once a rate is established, the interval is based on half the remaining shell corrosion life, capped at fifteen years. This is where in-service UT surveys come in.

Internal (out-of-service) inspections exist mainly to establish floor and shell-to-bottom condition. For a new tank, the code sets a maximum first interval of ten years, which can be extended by credits for leak-prevention, detection, corrosion-mitigation and containment safeguards; the first interval can run to twenty years without a release prevention barrier or thirty years with one. Subsequent intervals are set from measured floor corrosion rates and the minimum remaining bottom thickness the code accepts, with the same twenty- and thirty-year ceilings, unless the owner uses a risk-based inspection programme that meets the code's conditions. Settlement evaluation, covered in the code's annex on tank-bottom settlement, is part of judging whether a tank is fit for continued service.

These intervals belong to the owner and the Authorized Inspector. Atlantis does not set them; we supply the thickness, corrosion-rate and settlement data the AI uses to set them. For the arithmetic behind the intervals, see API 653 tank inspection intervals explained, and always confirm the requirement against the current edition of the standard from api.org.

NDE methods for API 653 work in Texas

Direct answer: The core API 653 data set in Texas is a floor MFL scan with UT prove-up of every indication, UT thickness of shell courses and the critical zone, visual examination of shell, roof and appurtenances, surface methods or vacuum-box testing on welds after repair, and settlement measurement. The table maps each method to typical Texas tank conditions.

Radiography is performed only by crews licensed for industrial radiography in Texas. Every method runs on a written procedure reviewed by an ASNT NDT Level III and is performed by technicians certified to an SNT-TC-1A written practice. For a fuller description of floor and shell scopes, see our aboveground storage tank inspection page and the API 653 tank inspection support service page.

How Atlantis supports your Authorized Inspector

Direct answer: Your Authorized Inspector decides what needs examining; Atlantis carries out those examinations, checks the data, and hands it over in a form the AI can evaluate and file. The AI then evaluates results, sets the next intervals and signs. We are not an Authorized Inspection Agency and we do not supply API-certified inspectors.

Many Texas tank inspection firms sell the Authorized Inspector service and the NDE as one package. Atlantis sells only the NDE behind it, which gives owners with an in-house AI, or a separate inspection agency, an independent source of examination data. A typical job runs like this:

1. Scope from the inspection plan. The AI or the owner's inspection group gives us the tank list, the required examinations and any acceptance or reporting format. We confirm methods, coverage (for example full-floor MFL versus partial scanning), and access.
2. Procedures. An ASNT Level III reviews the MFL, UT, surface-method and vacuum-box procedures against the tank, its coatings and the owner's requirements.
3. Examinations. Certified technicians scan the floor, prove up indications with UT, survey shell courses and the critical zone, examine welds, and collect settlement readings where scoped.
4. Data QA. Readings are checked against calibration records and previous surveys; anomalies are re-examined before demobilisation, not discovered afterwards.
5. Digital report. Plate-by-plate floor maps, shell readings by course and location, weld records, photographs, calibration and technician certifications, delivered through our digital reporting platform.
6. AI evaluation and sign-off. The AI evaluates minimum thicknesses, corrosion rates and settlement, decides repairs and next intervals, and signs the inspection report.
7. Reuse at the next interval. Data stays structured, so the next survey compares like with like. Owners can view results on a digital twin or manage intervals in our inspection-management ERP.

Corrosion rates and remaining-life figures can be calculated from our thickness data for the AI's review; the interval decision remains the AI's and the owner's. Atlantis performs the NDE; your API 653 Authorized Inspector remains inspector of record and signs the inspection report. To start, request an NDE scope for your AI's inspection plan.

Texas regulations that sit on top of API 653

Direct answer: In Texas, API 653 is pulled into law from several directions: the TCEQ Aboveground Storage Vessel Safety Program under 30 TAC Chapter 338, federal SPCC integrity-testing rules, PHMSA breakout-tank rules administered for intrastate pipelines by the Railroad Commission, and OSHA process safety management at refineries and chemical plants. Confirm current requirements with each agency.

TCEQ Aboveground Storage Vessel Safety (ASVS) Program

Senate Bill 900 (2021) directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to create the ASVS Program, adopted as 30 TAC Chapter 338. It applies to non-earthen aboveground storage vessels of 21,000 gallons or more that store a regulated substance and sit at a petrochemical plant, petroleum refinery or bulk storage terminal, subject to listed exemptions. Covered vessels must meet named sections of API 653 (including its inspection section), API 2350 for overfill protection, and fire-protection standards. Owners must register existing covered vessels by September 1, 2027 and self-certify compliance for existing vessels by September 1, 2037, with new vessels certified shortly after start-up. For many Texas terminals this turns API 653 from good practice into a state obligation with a paper trail. Confirm current deadlines and exemptions with TCEQ.

TCEQ Petroleum Storage Tank rules

Separately, 30 TAC Chapter 334, Subchapter F requires registration of certain aboveground petroleum storage tanks, chiefly those over 1,100 gallons holding motor fuels. These rules are aimed at fuel storage rather than refinery and terminal integrity, but they are part of the same compliance file for many owners.

Federal SPCC (40 CFR Part 112)

Facilities subject to the EPA Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rule must test or inspect bulk storage containers for integrity on a regular schedule and whenever material repairs are made, in accordance with industry standards. For field-erected tanks that standard is normally API 653; for shop-built tanks it is usually STI SP001. The SPCC plan, certified by a professional engineer, should name the standard and schedule your inspections follow.

PHMSA breakout tanks and the Railroad Commission

Under 49 CFR 195.432, in-service atmospheric and low-pressure steel breakout tanks on regulated hazardous-liquid pipelines must be inspected in accordance with API 653. The rule currently incorporates an older edition (the Third Edition of 2001) and excludes the risk-based internal-interval option. A PHMSA proposed rule published in June 2026 would update the reference to the Fifth Edition and allow risk-based internal intervals; until a final rule is published, follow the regulation as written. The Railroad Commission of Texas Pipeline Safety Department inspects intrastate pipelines and their breakout tanks; PHMSA inspects interstate systems.

OSHA process safety management

Where a tank is part of a covered process, 29 CFR 1910.119(j) requires inspection and testing following recognised and generally accepted good engineering practice, and API 653 is the practice most owners cite. EPA's Risk Management Program carries a parallel requirement.

Planning around turnarounds, hurricanes and operations

Direct answer: In Texas, external inspections and shell UT run with the tank in service year-round, while internal inspections depend on the owner's emptying, cleaning and degassing schedule. Gulf Coast hurricane season (June to November) and the spring and autumn refinery turnaround peaks shape when tanks can come out of service and when crews are scarce.

Out-of-service work is the expensive part of an API 653 programme because the tank earns nothing while it is down. The NDE crew should arrive the day the tank is released for entry, not a week later, and the floor scan should finish fast enough that repair crews are not idle. That means agreeing coverage and access before the cleaning contractor finishes: confined-space permits, lighting and ventilation, sludge removal to a clean scanning surface, and whether the floor coating will be removed or scanned through.

Coastal Texas adds weather constraints. Floating roofs, seals and secondary seals are often examined after storm events, and owners prefer not to have tanks empty and light during peak hurricane weeks when a floating tank can shift on its foundation. In the Permian, extreme summer heat and dust affect scanning schedules and couplant behaviour, and distances push owners to batch several tanks per trip. In-service shell surveys and external inspections can fill the gaps between outages. Settlement surveys are best scheduled when the tank is at a known fill level so readings are comparable with the previous survey.

If you are planning a campaign, book a scoping call with your outage dates and we will propose the NDE sequence around them.

API 653 inspection support across Texas

Direct answer: Atlantis mobilises crews to tank sites anywhere in Texas; the schedule is agreed during scoping. The city pages below describe local tank, pressure-vessel, piping and third-party inspection work and are a good starting point if your facility sits in one of these areas.

• Houston and the Ship Channel:tank inspection in Houston, third-party inspection in Houston, Deer Park, Baytown and Galveston. Pipeline-connected terminals: pipeline inspection in Houston.
• Golden Triangle:tank inspection in Beaumont, corrosion inspection in Beaumont and third-party inspection in Beaumont.
• Coastal Bend:tank inspection in Corpus Christi, corrosion inspection in Corpus Christi, weld inspection in Corpus Christi and third-party inspection in Corpus Christi.
• Permian Basin:third-party inspection in Midland.
• North and Central Texas:pipeline inspection in Dallas, third-party inspection in Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin.

Tanks rarely stand alone. Most Texas tank farms connect to process piping and pressure equipment covered by our companion hubs for API 570 piping inspection in Texas and API 510 pressure vessel inspection in Texas, and the full method list is on NDT inspection services in Texas. Pipeline operators can also see pipeline inspection services.

What to send us for a quote

Direct answer: A tank list with sizes and service, the last API 653 report, your AI's inspection plan or required examinations, access and cleaning status, and target dates. With those, we can return a scoped NDE quote within 24 hours.

1. Tank list and drawings: tank numbers, diameter, height, roof type, product, floor and shell plate thickness, annular ring details, coating or lining, and construction drawings where available.
2. Last inspection report: previous API 653 external and internal reports, floor maps and shell readings, so corrosion rates can be calculated against the same locations.
3. The AI's inspection plan: the examinations your Authorized Inspector requires, coverage expectations and the report format they need.
4. Access and cleaning status: in-service or out-of-service, cleaning contractor, gas-free and confined-space arrangements, scaffolding or rope access for shell work.
5. Dates and constraints: outage windows, site safety orientation, TWIC or refinery-specific training requirements, and whether the tank is a PHMSA breakout tank or an ASVS-covered vessel.

Ready? Send us your Texas tank list and get a quote within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions: API 653 tank inspection in Texas

Who can perform an API 653 inspection in Texas?

The inspection itself must be directed and signed by an API 653 Authorized Inspector, either the owner's own or one from an inspection agency. The NDE that supplies the data can be performed by any competent NDE contractor working to qualified procedures. Atlantis performs that NDE with ASNT-certified technicians under Level III oversight and hands the results to your AI.

Does Texas law require API 653 inspections?

For many facilities, yes. The TCEQ ASVS Program under 30 TAC Chapter 338 requires covered vessels at refineries, petrochemical plants and bulk terminals to meet named API 653 sections. SPCC requires integrity testing to an industry standard, PHMSA requires API 653 for breakout tanks, and OSHA PSM expects recognised practice. Confirm applicability with TCEQ and your counsel.

Which Texas tanks fall under the ASVS Program?

Non-earthen aboveground vessels of 21,000 gallons or more that store a regulated substance and are located at a petrochemical plant, petroleum refinery or bulk storage terminal, unless an exemption applies. Existing covered vessels must be registered by September 1, 2027. Check TCEQ's current guidance for exemptions and self-certification timing.

How often does a storage tank need an API 653 inspection?

Monthly routine checks by owner staff; a formal external inspection by the AI at least every five years, or sooner when shell corrosion is fast; shell UT on its own corrosion-based interval; and internal inspections at intervals set from floor corrosion rates, with code ceilings of twenty or thirty years depending on release-prevention barriers, unless a qualifying risk-based programme is used.

What NDE methods are used for API 653 tank inspections?

Floor MFL scanning with UT prove-up, shell and critical-zone UT thickness, visual examination, MT, PT and vacuum-box testing of floor and shell-to-bottom welds after repairs, radiography or PAUT of new shell welds, and settlement surveys. The AI decides which apply to each tank.

Is Atlantis an API 653 Authorized Inspector?

No. We are not an Authorized Inspection Agency and we do not supply API-certified inspectors. We perform and interpret the NDE; your Authorized Inspector evaluates it, sets intervals and signs. That separation gives you independent examination data and keeps the inspector-of-record role where the code puts it.

Can you inspect a tank while it stays in service?

Yes, for external work: shell UT thickness, corrosion mapping on accessible shell areas, visual examination and settlement readings are normally in-service scopes. Floor MFL scanning, critical-zone UT and internal weld examination need the tank emptied, cleaned and gas-free.

What certifications do your technicians hold?

Technicians are certified to an ASNT SNT-TC-1A written practice in each method they perform, with procedures reviewed by an ASNT NDT Level III. Radiography is carried out only by crews licensed for industrial radiography in Texas. Site-specific training and qualifications are handled during scoping.

What does the NDE report contain?

Plate-by-plate floor maps with MFL indications and UT prove-up readings, shell readings by course and location, critical-zone readings, weld examination records, settlement data, photographs, procedures, calibration records and technician certifications, delivered digitally so the next survey compares directly.

Do you perform RBI or fitness-for-service assessments?

No. Risk-based inspection programmes and fitness-for-service assessments are carried out by the owner's engineers or specialist consultants. Atlantis supplies the inspection data those assessments rely on.

Do you offer API 653 certification training?

No. Atlantis trains NDT personnel to ASNT SNT-TC-1A only, including NDT training in Texas. For the API 653 certification route, see our API inspector career guide.

How quickly can you mobilise to Houston, Corpus Christi or Midland?

Crews are mobilised to your site and the schedule is agreed during scoping around your outage window. Send the tank list and dates and you will receive a quote within 24 hours.

Plan your next Texas tank outage

Whether it is one breakout tank in the Permian or a terminal-wide ASVS compliance campaign on the Ship Channel, the starting point is the same: your AI's plan and your tank list. Get a quote within 24 hours, or explore NDT consulting in Texas for Level III procedure support.

More Atlantis NDT services in Texas

• NDT training and certification in Texas
• Level III consulting in Texas
• NDT inspection services in Texas
• API 510 pressure vessel inspection support in Texas
• API 570 piping inspection support in Texas
• NDT ERP software in Texas
• Practical NDT simulator in Texas

Part of the wider aboveground storage tank inspection service at Atlantis NDT.