Now that our team has made their way back to their respective offices, we wanted to take a few moments to share our highlights from the API 2026 Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit in San Antonio, TX.

The API Summit began back in 2007 as a small gathering of professionals interested in advancing safety and reliability across the refining and petrochemical industries. Equity has participated as an exhibitor and sponsor since the very beginning. Congratulations to the API team and volunteers who helped with the organization and execution of another successful conference. We are privileged to see the growth of  API Summit over the years – it has now become the most important conference for mechanical integrity and reliability in our industry.

Reliability & Integrity Knowledge Shared

The core focus of the API Summit is sharing information, case studies, and the latest technology with our industry colleagues. This year, Equity presented 10 technical presentations, 3 panel sessions, and 2 training sessions throughout the week. The topics ranged from technical engineering topics to software applications and knowledge-sharing using the Equity Engineering Practices.

If you were unable to attend the API Summit this year and are interested in learning about any of the below technical sessions, please contact us and we’ll be happy to set up a Lunch & Learn opportunity for your team.

Presentation Title	Presenter
An Evaluation of the Efficacy of WRC 452 PWHT Procedures in a Shell-to-Head Junction Showed the final residual stress field of a “typical” double-vee prep circumferential butt weld for various geometries from direct application of WRC 452 and provided recommendations for minimization of the net residual stresses.	Daniel McArthur, P.Eng. Joan Wood
Overview of On-going Technology Advancements within the Fitness-for-Service Joint Committee Provided an overview both of what to expect in the next publication of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 (API 579) and the ongoing activities within the FFSJC that will affect future editions of the International Code.	Brian Macejko, P.E.
Advanced Analysis of Aboveground Storage Tank Edge Settlement Detailed recommendations for analysis of AST edge settlement primarily utilizing finite element analysis (FEA) and a Level 3 FFS approach per API 579.	Derek Slovenec, P.E.
Managing Asset Integrity Programs through Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Discussed best practices and lessons learned for managing an asset integrity program through an M&A, covering topics such as legal considerations, software changes and data migration, and overall project management.	Branden Stucky Maria Rennillo
Leveraging Engineering Practices, SME Mentorship, and AI-Driven Knowledge Transfer to Capture & Preserve Technical Knowledge for the Next Generation of SMEs Explored a multi-pronged strategy for preserving and transferring SME’s technical knowledge through the development of robust engineering practices, mentorship and training programs, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).	Joel Andreani, P.E.
Buzzwords to Breakthroughs: Utilizing Technology to Improve Workflows Offered a practical understanding of new technologies (e.g., digital twin, AI-driven analytics, and predictive maintenance) and how they’re reshaping inspection and asset integrity workflows.	Juliet Calleton
Enhancing Risk-Based Inspection Assessments with Fitness-for-Service Used case studies to discuss potential applications where a combined RBI and FFS approach may better model difficult damage mechanisms and create a more well-rounded assessment.	Branden Stucky
Breaking the Cycle: From Reactive Maintenance to Risk-Based Heat Exchanger Tube Bundle Inspection Emphasized the benefits of using RBI for tube bundles and discussed the current API 581 tube bundle methodology.	Phil Henry, P.E. Lindsey Ho
Managing Safety Gaps in Codes and Standards: Midstream Air Cooler Case Study Discussed the continuous challenge with closing the gap between rules and regulations and RAGAGEP while managing fixed equipment standards designed to outdated codes and standards.	Kevin Haley, P.E.
Pickin’ Up (Not So) Good Vibrations Presented fleet-wide assessment program undertaken by Marathon with Equity Engineering to identify and mitigate risk associated with vibration of small-bore piping cantilever connections.	Michael Bifano, Ph.D., P.E.

Be a Student of History

Beyond the presentations, Branden Stucky and Greg Alvarado participated in a mock podcast panel session with John Reynolds, Clay White, and Ray Konet. Fondly called the “Gray Beards,” this was a casual discussion with these three industry legends who brought to the session over 140 years of reliability experience. Using a combination of pre-planned questions and audience input, the three gray beards shared insights and stories that are still relevant to us today.

The following are just a few of many words of wisdom shared by these gentlemen:

• “Be a student of history, it’s always better to learn from others’ mistakes.” – Clay White
• “When you go back and look at the data, the data was always predicting what was going to happen or that you are going to have a problem.” – John Reynolds
• “To have excellence in mechanical integrity, you need excellence in maintenance, excellence in operations, and excellence in design.” – Clay White paraphrasing Brian Jack, one of his mentors
• “When dealing with fires or failures, ask yourself ‘Do I need to do more?’ Remember, there are always keys to solving the failure found in the data.” – Ray Konet

Per API guidelines, the panel session wasn’t recorded. Thanks to the Inspectioneering team’s mini podcast studio, we were able to record an encore interview later the same day. Greg and Branden were able to continue the conversation and answered the audience questions that weren’t asked during the original 2-hour panel session. Subscribe to the podcast so you will be the first to hear that encore episode as soon as it’s published.

As we all left San Antonio and the quickly approaching tropical storm, we appreciated each conversation with had with our clients, industry partners, new contacts, and of course our Equity team members. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth – it was great to catch up! Please fill out the form below if you’d like to connect with any of our team members and we’d be happy to keep the conversation going.