Saudi Aramco has released an updated revision of SAEP-1143, one of the key standards regulating non-destructive testing in the Arabian region. The new version clearly reflects the industry’s shift toward modern inspection practices. We fully support this direction and welcome the increased focus on the Digital Radiography (DR) method that improves inspection efficiency, repeatability, process clarity, and image quality.

Below, we highlight the most important changes introduced in the updated SAEP-1143 procedure, along with expert comments from Dr. Iaroslav Iurin, Lead Technical Specialist at DR SYSTEMS, Lv. 3 in DR.

Mandatory use of CR and DR technologies (1.1 of SAEP-1143).

The updated procedure officially mandates the use of CR and DR technologies, confirming Saudi Aramco’s continuous commitment to digital inspection methods and innovative technologies.

Dr. Iaroslav Iurin comments: “This change formalizes what has already become best practice in the field. Digital radiography offers faster inspections, better traceability, and improved defect detectability compared to film-based methods.”

Manufacturer-recommended calibration procedures (7.4.1 of SAEP-1143).

For Digital Detector Arrays, the standard now explicitly requires the use of manufacturer-recommended gain and offset calibration procedures.

Dr. Iaroslav Iurin comments: “Properly performed calibrations ensure the best testing results with DR, while doing it wrongly may cause image artifacts and compromise the evaluation process. Therefore, during every one of our training sessions, we show the correct procedures and ask the participants to perform calibrations themselves.”

Weekly gain and offset calibration requirements (7.4.6 of SAEP-1143, Table 3).

Gain and offset calibration for DDA systems must be performed weekly. Bad pixel maps are required only for new equipment and after detector repair.

Dr. Iaroslav Iurin comments: “As a digital radiography manufacturer, we recommend performing bad pixel calibration immediately after gain calibration to maintain system accuracy and avoid incorrect defect interpretation. Technicians and RTFIs should be informed of the weekly gain calibration requirement, as calibration records are fully traceable and may be reviewed by Saudi Aramco or prime RTFIs during audits.”

Updated image quality evaluation approach (7.4.4.6 of SAEP-1143).

Image quality requirement revised. The standard replaces the former requirement for a fixed grey value (e.g., 30% of detector bit depth) with a more practical criterion: grey values should be adjusted so that the smallest IQI wire is clearly visible in the radiographic image.

Dr. Iaroslav Iurin comments: “The previous requirement often resulted in unnecessarily long exposure times. The revised approach focuses on actual image quality and defect visibility, making inspections more efficient while maintaining results reliability.”

Grey level variation limits in the area of interest (7.4.4.6 of SAEP-1143).

The image brightness adjacent to the designated wire of the wire-type IQI shall be judged to be equal to or greater than the image brightness in the area of interest for a negative image format. If verified by measurement, pixel intensity variations up to 30% are permitted. Localized pixel averaging may be used in determining pixel intensity variations, provided the number of pixels averaged does not exceed the total number that would fit inside the area of a circle 3.0 mm (0.125”) in diameter.

Dr. Iaroslav Iurin comments: “Grey level variation in the inspection area should not exceed 30%. For example, if the weld center has a grey value of 10,000, edge values should not fall below 7,000. To minimize variation, adjust the X-ray generator voltage and current. Maintain correct SOD and ODD. High-energy sources such as Ir-192 typically show minimal signal loss.”

The updated SAEP-1143 procedure clearly demonstrates that digital radiography is no longer the future – it is the present. More companies and inspectors are choosing DR for its accuracy, efficiency, and traceability. We welcome this progress and are ready to support our partners with reliable digital radiography solutions that fully comply with Saudi Aramco requirements.

Let’s move forward together – and continue building more efficient inspection practices.