EMI Tubing Inspection: Electromagnetic Induction for Oilfield Tubing Integrity

Electromagnetic induction reads the condition of the tubing wall without touching it. It finds general wall loss from corrosion, including loss on the inside surface that visual inspection cannot see; rod wear where the rod string has been rubbing; localized pitting; and defects present before the joint ever went in the hole.

While it is already out of the hole. Scanning tubing that is on surface during a planned job costs little compared with a downhole failure, which brings a workover rig, possibly a fishing job, and lost production while the well is down.

Tubing fails at its worst point, not its average. A string that averages comfortably within tolerance can still contain one joint with deep localized wear, and that joint sets the life of the whole string. Scanning identifies those joints so they can be pulled and the rest put back to work.

Digital trace records and actionable data on the condition of each joint. Because the record is digital, repeat inspections of the same string show how fast it is degrading — which is what turns maintenance from reactive to scheduled.

EMI (electromagnetic inspection) is the oilfield’s umbrella term for scanning tubulars with magnetic and electromagnetic methods. Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) is one of the principles those scanners use. What matters on the job is the output: a trace for each joint that shows wall loss and localized defects.

Yes. EMI scanning is done at the wellhead or on the lease, so the string does not have to be hauled to a yard to find out which joints can go back in the hole.