The ACFM technique and its application to the inspection of oil and gas installations

The alternating current field measurement (ACFM) inspection technique has been developed to enable reliable crack detection and sizing in a wide range of applications. Since its introduction to the offshore industry in 1991 it has been adopted by a number of companies as a primary inspection tool for the inspection of welded structures, replacing MPI. This paper describes the ACFM technique and describes a range of applications in the oil and gas industry, where the technology has provided significant cost benefits compared with more traditional inspection methods