Oil and Gas Hazardous Area Inspection — Offshore & Onshore
Independent, CompEx-certified oil and gas hazardous area inspection to IEC 60079-17 — for offshore platforms, onshore refineries, terminals and pipelines. I inspect Ex equipment where it actually operates and hand you a clear, prioritised report your operations and HSE teams can act on. Offshore and onshore, worldwide — with priority to the EU.
Why oil and gas needs specialist Ex inspection
Oil and gas facilities combine flammable gas and vapour, high energy density and harsh operating conditions — salt, vibration, temperature cycling and ageing installations. In this environment a hazardous area inspection is not a paperwork exercise: it is about confirming that the explosion protection actually still works on equipment that has been in service for years.
What I inspect
Ex equipment & enclosures
Ex d flameproof, Ex e increased safety, Ex i intrinsically safe and Ex p/n equipment — enclosures, flame paths, fasteners, gaskets and IP integrity.
Motors & rotating equipment
Ex motors on pumps, compressors and packages — including the kind supplied by rotating-equipment OEMs — bearings housings, terminal boxes and earthing.
Cabling & entries
Cable glands, entries, stopping plugs, conduit and barrier systems, segregation and mechanical protection in Zone 1 and Zone 2.
Instrumentation & IS loops
Transmitters, analysers, detectors and intrinsically safe loops — barriers, isolators, cable parameters and documentation.
Lighting, heat tracing, HVAC
Ex luminaires, electric heat tracing, HVAC and pressurised rooms, junction boxes and small power in the hazardous area.
Earthing, bonding & markings
Equipotential bonding, static control, Ex marking and certificate consistency, and the maintenance/inspection records behind them.
The depth follows the three grades of IEC 60079-17 (visual, close and detailed) and the risk of each item. See also the underlying Ex inspection service and how to read Ex markings.
Both worlds, from field experience
Offshore
Platforms, FPSOs and modules where space, access and permit-to-work discipline shape every inspection. Salt, vibration and continuous operation age Ex equipment fast — close and detailed inspection is where the real findings appear.
Onshore
Refineries, gas plants, terminals, tank farms and pipelines. Larger populations of Ex equipment, more documentation history, and a strong need to prioritise findings so the operator can plan the work.
Inspection grades (IEC 60079-17)
The standard defines three increasingly thorough grades. The right depth is driven by the equipment, its protection type and the risk — not by a fixed template.
From findings to a compliant fix
Why a CompEx-certified inspector
CompEx
Certified for gas and vapour hazardous areas, with the practical assessment behind it. More on the CompEx inspection page.
20+ years in oil & gas
Offshore and onshore E&I / Ex field experience. See about the inspector.
Independent & field-first
No product to sell — just findings you can act on. Available to hire for projects too.
What you get
Report you can act on
- Photo-documented findings per item and area
- Defect register with severity and priority
- Reference to the relevant clause / grade
- Clear recommended next steps
Practical extras
- Marking and certificate mismatches flagged
- Repair items scoped — OEM/authorised (IEC 60079-19) or direct replacement
- Input for your inspection strategy and intervals
- A summary your management can read
How it works
Scope & access
We agree the areas, equipment population, grade and permit / access needs.
On-site inspection
Structured IEC 60079-17 inspection, photo-documented, with sampling where appropriate.
Evaluation
Findings structured, prioritised, and mapped to clear actions and any 60079-19 repair items.
Report & follow-up
You receive the report and a short debrief; ongoing support available if needed.
Who I work with
Operators and duty holders, EPC and maintenance contractors, turnaround and shutdown teams, and rotating- and process-equipment vendors who need independent hazardous area verification on the equipment they supply into oil and gas — pumps, compressors, seal systems and packaged units.
Request an oil & gas Ex inspection quote
Tell me the site type (offshore / onshore), the approximate Ex equipment population, the zones involved and the timing. I will come back with whether a focused inspection or a larger scope fits, and a quote.
Independent CompEx certified inspection and explosion protection support. Final scope and fee are agreed individually. Email: info@atexfullcare.com.
Frequently asked questions
Do you inspect both offshore and onshore installations?
Yes. The oil and gas hazardous area inspection covers offshore platforms and modules as well as onshore refineries, gas plants, terminals and pipelines, to IEC 60079-17.
Do you repair the faults you find?
Yes — I help you put findings right. Repairs are done to IEC/EN 60079-19 with the manufacturer’s approved methods and parts so the Ex certification stays valid, and I support the whole process. A like-for-like replacement of a certified component (for example a water-damaged Ex junction box) I can carry out directly, restoring the system’s integrity; anything that needs the OEM or an authorised repair facility I flag and help coordinate.
Which inspection grade do I need?
It depends on the equipment, protection type and risk. Visual, close and detailed grades are combined as appropriate — see the IEC 60079-17 page.
Can you work as part of a turnaround or shutdown?
Yes. Inspection can be scheduled around a turnaround or shutdown window, with findings prioritised so the work can be planned.