Photorealistic wide image of a worker crouching inside a cylindrical metal tank, wearing a red hard hat, green protective coveralls with reflective strips, blue gloves, black boots, and a safety harness attached to an overhead tether. The worker inspects equipment on the tank floor near a pipe entering from the left wall, a trailing cable, scattered dark residue, and a bright reflection on the metal surface.

A Practical Guide for Owners and Operators

Bunney’s Inc. provides expert API 653 inspection and repair services for aboveground steel storage tanks (ASTs), helping facility managers extend asset life, reduce risks, and maintain compliance. API 653 is the industry-recognized standard for in-service inspection, maintenance, repair, alteration, and reconstruction of welded, riveted, or bolted ASTs operating at or near atmospheric pressure. Applying it correctly ensures tanks remain safe, compliant, and cost-effective throughout their lifecycle.

Serving industrial and utility facilities across Arizona.

What API 653 Covers—and Why It Matters

API 653 complements new-build standards like API 650 by defining how to:

  • Evaluate tank condition and trend metal loss

  • Determine fitness-for-service and calculate remaining life

  • Execute and document compliant repairs, alterations, or reconstruction

Following this standard helps facilities avoid unplanned downtime, minimize environmental risks, and provide defensible records for regulators, auditors, and insurers.

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(623) 875-1201

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    Inspection Types & Frequency

    API 653 inspection programs combine routine external inspections, periodic internal inspections, and targeted NDT:

    • External inspections: Shells, roofs, coatings, appurtenances, foundations, settlement, and leak paths.

    • Internal inspections: Floor evaluation, UT readings, weld assessments, and lining integrity.

    • Frequency: Risk-based—driven by product stored, historical corrosion rates, and environmental conditions. Trending UT datasets helps right-size inspection intervals.

    NDT Methods in API 653 Programs

    Non-destructive testing ensures accurate, defensible results:

    • Ultrasonic thickness (UT) mapping of shell, roof, and floor

    • Magnetic particle (MT) and liquid penetrant (PT) for welds

    • Radiography (RT) for critical welds if required

    • Vacuum box or liquid testing for floor seams

    Reliable NDT data underpins corrosion-rate calculations and lifecycle planning.

    Repairs, Alterations & Reconstruction

    API 653 outlines proper methods when degradation is found:

    • Plate replacement (floor, roof, or shell)

    • Local weld repair and nozzle reinforcements

    • Internal linings/coatings to arrest corrosion

    • Reconstruction/replacement for severe wall loss

    Repairs must follow qualified welding procedures, use traceable materials, and pass NDT and hydro/pressure testing.

    Fitness-for-Service & Remaining Life

    Certified inspectors calculate remaining life using thickness data, corrosion rates, and operating conditions. Options include:

    • Continuing service with monitoring

    • Scheduling repairs proactively

    • Decommissioning or replacing the tank

    Regular UT trending shifts decisions from reactive to proactive lifecycle management.

    Safety, Environmental Controls & Documentation

    API 653 work must meet strict safety and environmental standards:

    • Confined-space entry: gas monitoring, ventilation, PPE, trained staff

    • Containment planning during repairs to prevent spills/releases

    • Documentation: inspection reports, NDT data, weld maps, WPS/PQRs, MTRs, and test records—ready for regulators and insurers

    Why Arizona Facilities Choose Bunney’s Inc.

    • Certified inspectors & welders experienced in API 653 work

    • Turnkey services: inspections, NDT, repairs, pressure testing, documentation

    • Built for Arizona: practical solutions for heat, dust, and remote-site logistics

    • Lifecycle value: Programs that extend service life, reduce emergency repairs, and minimize downtime

    FAQs

    1) How often should I schedule an API 653 internal inspection?
    Intervals are risk-based, influenced by stored product, corrosion rates, and prior findings. UT data trends set the correct timing.

    2) Can tanks with leaking floors be repaired or must they be replaced?
    Many floor issues can be repaired through plate replacement or weld repairs, depending on extent. Replacement is reserved for severe degradation.

    3) What documentation will I receive after API 653 work?
    Expect full inspection reports, UT maps, repair drawings, MTRs, weld/NDT records, and test certificates.

    4) Do repairs always require downtime?
    Not always. Some external work can be done in-service, but floor and internal repairs usually require an outage. We help minimize downtime with careful planning.

    5) Why hire Bunney’s Inc. instead of a generic contractor?
    Our team combines API-certified inspectors, qualified welders, and decades of AST experience—ensuring safe, code-compliant work with defensible documentation.

    Related Services:

    Request a API 653 Tank Inspection and Repair
    Photorealistic wide image of two workers in protective coveralls, hard hats, respirators, gloves, and boots crouching inside a dark industrial tank. They work on marked sections of the black metal floor near a rectangular access panel, with hoses, chalk markings, a bright yellow sprayer, a rag, and circular pipe openings visible around them.
    Photorealistic wide image of a worker wearing a white hard hat and dark coveralls operating a wheeled inspection device inside a large rust-toned industrial tank or metal chamber. Warm light casts long shadows across the floor, with circular pipe openings in the wall, a yellow measuring tape on the ground, and a bright vertical light reflection on the right.

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