Tank Inspection Services in Houston 2026 — ASNT Level III Led

Atlantis NDT delivers tank inspection services in Houston. Methods: UT (including PAUT and TOFD), RT, MT, PT and VT, with procedures and reports reviewed by an ASNT NDT Level III. Houston facilities in the oil & gas, petrochemical & refining sectors require rigorous tank inspection services. Technicians are certified by their employer to its SNT-TC-1A written practice. Where we work: nationwide. Technicians are mobilised to your site anywhere in the USA; apart from the Houston office there is no local office, so mobilisation is planned and quoted for each job.

Tank Inspection Services Scope

Tank inspection covers: floor plates and bottom annulus via MFL; shell courses via UT thickness survey; roof, nozzles, and foundation via visual and settlement measurement — all per API 653, with API 650 new-construction alignment and EEMUA 159 guidance where applicable. Atlantis NDT Level III approves every Procedure + signs off final disposition + audit-ready records via Atlantis NDT ERP.

Code + Compliance

Tank Inspection Services per: ASME B&PV Sections V + VIII + IX + XI; ASME B31 piping series; API 510 + 570 + 571 + 579 + 580 + 581 + 653 + 1104 + 1169; ASTM E-series; ISO 17635/17636/17640; AWS D1.1/3.6; IACS Rec-20 marine; NACE MR0175 + MR0103 sour-service.

Free Consultation

Atlantis NDT publishes no pricing — varies by region + scope. Request your free 30-minute consultation. Every job is quoted on request. See also verticals, Houston ERP, Houston training, Houston consulting.

What tank inspection involves

Aboveground storage tank inspection covers the shell, floor, roof and appurtenances, establishing minimum thickness by course, floor condition, settlement, and the resulting inspection intervals under API 653.

Scope of work

  • External inspection of shell, roof, appurtenances, foundation and containment
  • Ultrasonic shell thickness by course with minimum-required-thickness calculation
  • Floor scanning by magnetic flux leakage with ultrasonic prove-up of indications
  • Settlement survey and evaluation against API 653 Annex B criteria
  • Vacuum box testing of floor welds and, where required, hydrostatic testing after repair

Governing codes

API 653 for inspection, repair, alteration and reconstruction, API 650 as the construction code, API 575 for practice, and API 579 where fitness-for-service assessment is required.

The Houston asset base

Houston is the global capital of the oil and gas industry, hosting the largest concentration of US refining and petrochemical capacity, with refineries, petrochemical complexes and midstream facilities across the Greater Houston area. The sheer density of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, storage tanks, and pipeline networks makes digital twin technology an operational necessity for integrity managers working across Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Lyondell Basell assets. The humid subtropical climate and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico create persistent corrosion challenges, making real-time thickness trending within a 3D digital twin a critical risk-management tool.

How the work is controlled

Agree personnel qualification, equipment checks, procedure revision and review responsibilities for the examination. Retain those records with the results and coverage limitations.

What you receive

  • A report in your required format, with findings located against the component and, where relevant, against a persistent corrosion monitoring location so trends stay continuous between campaigns
  • Raw data in the instrument-native format plus an open export, so the dataset outlives any single supplier relationship
  • The procedure revision, technician certification state and instrument calibration status applicable at the time of examination
  • Where a finding affects continued service, the specific code clause governing the acceptance decision

Related: asset integrity management software · inspection management software · ASNT Level III consulting · digital twin for asset integrity. Request a quote for Houston.

Part of NDT inspection services in Texas and the full range of NDT inspection services from Atlantis NDT.

NDT tank inspection in Houston: terminal and plant tanks, and the new Texas tank rules

Most of Houston's storage tanks are along the Houston Ship Channel, in bulk liquid terminals, refineries and chemical plants between Galena Park and Baytown. NDT tank inspection there means MFL floor scanning, UT shell thickness readings, visual examination and vacuum-box testing for the owner's API 653 program. Atlantis, based in Houston, performs the NDE. The owner's API 653 inspector reviews it and signs the inspection.

How many tanks are involved. The Port Houston complex has more than 200 public and private terminals and ranks first among US ports for foreign waterborne tonnage. One terminal alone can run hundreds of tanks. Kinder Morgan's Galena Park terminal lists 231 tanks on 452 acres, from 5,000 to 187,000 barrels each, holding refined products, chemicals, vegetable oil, ethanol and biodiesel. The product affects the inspection. Floor corrosion rates, internal linings and cleaning needs differ by service. Floor scans are planned around the out-of-service dates the terminal sets for product movements, not around a refinery turnaround.

Texas tank rules since 2023. After the March 2019 fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company tank farm in Deer Park, the legislature passed Senate Bill 900. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality put it into effect as the Aboveground Storage Vessel Safety program, 30 TAC Chapter 338, on August 24, 2023. It covers non-earthen tanks of 21,000 gallons (500 barrels) or more that store regulated substances at petrochemical plants, refineries and bulk storage terminals. It exempts some categories, such as production and gathering tanks and heated tanks. Registration is due by September 1, 2027, and owners of existing vessels must self-certify compliance by September 1, 2037. Certification is the owner's job. Floor, shell and weld data collected now give the owner evidence to support it later.

Federal overlays. EPA's Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rule (40 CFR Part 112) expects bulk storage containers to be integrity tested on a schedule set by an industry standard. For welded field-erected tanks, that standard is usually API 653. Where a tank is part of a covered process, OSHA process safety management adds mechanical integrity requirements.

Gulf Coast conditions. Hurricane season runs from June through November. Heavy rain on external floating roofs, blocked roof drains and storm surge into low-lying tank farms mean roof, seal and shell checks are often needed after a storm. Humid, salty air speeds up corrosion at the chime and under insulation on heated tanks, so those areas need more than a quick look during external inspection.

  • Floor plates: MFL tank floor scanning with UT prove-up of each indication
  • Shell courses: UT thickness by course for the minimum-thickness calculation
  • Floor and repair welds: vacuum-box and leak testing
  • Roof, seals, nozzles and foundation: visual records with located photographs

Routing. Most visits here come from general "NDT tank inspection" searches. The national service is on aboveground storage tank inspection, and the split between NDE and the API 653 inspector's role is explained on API 653 tank inspection support. For Texas-wide scopes, see API 653 tank inspection in Texas. Every Houston service is listed on inspection services in Houston. To plan a terminal or plant tank program, use the Houston tank inspection enquiry.