Khalid ALABBAS
Technical Lead & Mechanical Integrity Engineer — Iraq
Khalid ALABBAS is a Mechanical Integrity Engineer and Technical Team Lead with more than 15 years of professional experience across oil & gas production facilities, refineries, gas processing plants, offshore terminals, and fabrication yards in Iraq, Abu Dhabi, and the broader Middle East region.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Technology, Baghdad (2009), and has built his career from hands-on fabrication inspection and QA/QC engineering through to senior technical leadership in asset integrity management, fitness-for-service assessment, and risk-based inspection program development.
His technical work is grounded in damage mechanism identification, code-based engineering calculation, and conservative field judgment — applied consistently across pressure vessels, piping systems, heat exchangers, storage tanks, fired heaters, and boilers operating in hydrocarbon, sour, amine, hydrogen, and high-temperature service environments.
Career History
Independent API Inspector & Integrity Consltant(2023 – Present)
Currently operating as an independent technical authority, providing Fitness-for-Service (FFS) Level 1 and Level 2 assessments per API 579, integrity evaluations, and engineering recommendations to operators across Iraq. Scope includes pressure vessels, boilers, heat exchangers, piping systems, and storage tanks in compliance with API 510, API 570, API 650, API 653, and ASME BPVC requirements.
Work encompasses on-stream and shutdown inspections, corrosion damage evaluation, remaining life calculations, NDT coordination and validation, welding documentation review per ASME Section IX, and hydrostatic and pneumatic testing witness. Provides independent technical advice to operators and management on inspection scope, repair strategies, and FFS-based integrity decisions.
Technical Lead / Asset Integrity Management (2021 – 2023)
Led execution of asset integrity programs across oilfields, gas plants, and offshore terminals, covering static equipment, piping, and storage tanks for major international operators. Delivered FFS Level 1 & 2 assessments, corrosion evaluations, remaining life calculations, and repair recommendations per API 579. Developed and approved Inspection Test Plans (ITPs), QA/QC procedures, and mechanical integrity workflows for brownfield and greenfield projects.
Led shutdown and turnaround integrity scopes including inspection planning, contractor oversight, repair verification, and regulatory compliance. Managed NDT coordination (UT, MT, PT, RT, VT), facilitated RBI programs, and conducted root-cause failure analysis with engineering corrective action recommendations.
Key Achievements: Delivered multiple asset integrity programs with zero integrity failures. Reduced inspection cycle times through streamlined QA/QC workflows and RBI-based prioritization. Enhanced integrity decision-making through structured corrosion monitoring and predictive maintenance analysis.
Quality Engineer / Plant Inspector
Conducted inspection and QA surveillance during fabrication of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, tanks, and piping systems. Ensured compliance with ASME BPVC and API standards during construction, testing, and commissioning phases. Reviewed and approved WPS, PQR, and WPQ documentation, supervised NDT activities, and witnessed hydrostatic and pneumatic tests. Managed inspection documentation, NCRs, and QA/QC records for major EPC and oilfield projects across Iraq and Abu Dhabi.
Inspection Engineer — (2012)
Performed fabrication and erection inspections of storage tanks and piping systems. Conducted stage-wise inspections for welding, fit-up, dimensional checks, and alignment. Supervised NDT activities and hydrostatic testing in compliance with ASME and API standards.
QC Mechanical Engineer — (2009 – 2012)
Inspected pressure vessels, tanks, boilers, and heavy equipment per ASME and API standards. Monitored welding, fabrication, and destructive and nondestructive testing. Conducted failure investigations and recommended preventive engineering actions. Managed quality control documentation and supported design improvement feedback.
Certifications
API 510 — Pressure Vessel Inspector · Certificate No. 76413 · American Petroleum Institute
API 570 — Piping Inspector · Certificate No. 74237 · American Petroleum Institute
ASNT NDT Level 2 · UT, MT, PT, RT, VT
Certified Asset Integrity Professional · VT-2022-AIP-0258 · Velosi Training Institute
NBBI Repair Inspector Course · National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
NBBI Authorized Inspector Commission Course · National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
Certified Quality Engineer Training · ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 45001:2018 Auditor Training · Root Cause Analysis and 8D Problem Solving
Professional Memberships
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) · Member No. 000100652820
American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) · Member No. 214290
American Welding Society (AWS) · Member No. 2024991
American Society for Quality (ASQ) · Member No. 65332103
Code & Standards Competency
Inspection: API 510 · API 570 · API 571 · API 572 · API 574 · API 575 · API 650 · API 653
Fitness-For-Service & RBI: API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 · API 580 · API 581
Design & Construction: ASME BPVC Section I · Section IV · Section V · Section VIII-1 · Section IX · ASME B31.3 · ASME B31.1 · API 650 · API 660
Repair: PCC-2 · NBIC (NB-23) · API 510 · API 570 · API 653
Quality & HSE: ISO 9001:2015 · ISO 45001:2018 · ASTM material standards