Upon Further Inspection

In Part 1 of our conversation with Ryan Corn, Lead Corporate Refining Reliability Specialist at Marathon, hosts Branden Stucky and Greg Alvarado trace Ryan’s path from pre-med classes in small-town Illinois to a career in mechanical integrity. Ryan shares how his experience in quality and process engineering at a glass stovetop manufacturer and later managing a machine shop that repaired pipeline...

We're back with Kelly Schupp, ASME PCC Standards Chair and Consulting Engineer at Equity, for part 2 of our conversation! This episode picks up with Kelly’s transition from design engineering to refinery and chemical plant fixed equipment, including how an all-day interview at Valero changed her career direction, a “sink or swim” introduction to post-construction, and lessons in writing techn...

In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Schupp, ASME PCC Standards Chair and Consulting Engineer at Equity, to dive into the world of Post Construction Code. Kelly takes us behind the scenes of PCC-1, PCC-2, and PCC-3, explaining why PCC-1 dropped “Guidelines for” from its title, what makes flange criticality ranking so challenging, and where facilities can improve their approach to flange assembl...

We are pleased to welcome Abdulrahman Al-Rumaidh, a senior corrosion engineer from Bahrain to the podcast! Hosts, Greg Alvarado and Branden Stucky, learn about his path from mechanical engineering at the University of Bahrain into fixed equipment inspection and corrosion.  He describes early influences like materials science and rigorous report writing, internships in upstream operations and shipy...

Recorded live in person from the 2026 API Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit in San Antonio, this episode picks up where the "Graybeards" panel, a conference session that was held earlier that morning, left off. Hosts Greg and Branden sit back down with Ray Konet, John Reynolds, and Clay White to work through the attendee questions that didn't make it into the live session....

In Part 2 of our conversation with Melanie Brewer, MI Authority at Third Coast, hosts Branden and Greg dig into the practical realities of standing up a mechanical integrity program in a startup-like midstream environment. After nearly 30 years at a single facility, Melanie made the deliberate move to Third Coast specifically for the challenge and opportunity of building an MI and reliability prog...

Inside the 2026 Inspection & Mechanical Integrity Summit… Recorded live in person from the 2026 Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit in San Antonio. Andri Orphanides joins our hosts Greg and Branden to talk about planning the 10th Edition of the API Summit over two years, adding new elements like the Energy Exchange, petrochemical track, digital transformation content, charity golf tourn...

In this episode of Upon Further Inspection, Branden and Greg sit down with Melanie Brewer, MI Authority at Third Coast and a 20-plus-year veteran of the mechanical integrity space. Melanie traces her unexpected path from aspiring aerospace engineer — inspired by the NASA programs of the 1980s — to chemical engineering at the University of Dayton, where a co-op program gave her real-world exposure...

We welcome Terry McLane, a veteran inspector with deep roots in refining, back to the podcast for part 2 of our discussion. In this candid conversation, the guys cover the full spectrum of mechanical integrity (MI) from technology to program fundamentals to the realities of field work.  Terry weighs in on where tools like guided wave and acoustic emission fall short, and why drones, robotics, phas...

In this episode, we sit down with Terry McLane, a veteran refinery inspector with over 44 years of experience. Terry shares his journey from a plumbing and pipefitting apprentice into refinery maintenance contractor, and ultimately into a full-time career as an inspector. Terry speaks to the value of professional certifications and reflects on his 15 years contributing to API's Individual Cer...

Chad Patschke is back on the podcast to discuss the toughest damage mechanisms in refining and chemical industries. Based on his years of process safety expertise, he emphasizes that the toughest damage mechanisms offer very little warning like HTHA, corrosion under insulation (CUI), and buried piping/soil-to-air interfaces. There are many pros and cons of using drones, robotics, and artificial in...

“Office of the Week” guy, Chad Patschke, joins the hosts of Upon Further Inspection to share stories and insights from his 30+ year career in process safety and mechanical integrity (MI). Starting in 1992 with early Process Safety Management (PSM) rollout as a plant engineer, Chad discusses how the industry has shifted from a “bare minimum compliance” philosophy to valuing robust MI programs.  He...

Upon Further Inspection welcomes Mark Bell back to the podcast with Part 2 of our discussion where he shares stories and insights from his decades of inspection and mechanical integrity experience.  As a member of the API/AFPM site assessment program, he has performed assessments and PSM audits across many companies. He highlights gaps he sees in smaller facilities: limited adoption of CCDs, IOWs,...

In this episode we welcome Mark Bell, a semi-retired fixed equipment consultant to the podcast. The animated discussion between Greg, Branden, and Mark provide a practical, experience-based look at how great inspectors are developed and how inspection quality is improved over time. Mark’s key takeaway is that effective mechanical integrity depends less on “having certifications” or flashy NDE outp...

In part 2 of our conversation with Brent Ray, we take a deeper look at his extensive work with industry codes and standards through API, ASME, and NBIC. Brent reflects on how reviewing a marked up draft of API 571 in 2003 helped launch a path that later included chairing API 581, API 580, the Subcommittee on Inspection and Mechanical Integrity, and the API Inspection Summit. Throughout the discuss...

In part 1 of our interview with Brent Ray, Fixed Equipment & Mechanical Integrity Specialist at Marathon Petroleum, we explore the experiences and influences that helped shape his engineering perspective. After opening with a pair of gripping spelunking stories, Brent traces a career path guided by curiosity and opportunity—from studying materials science and chemical engineering to supervisin...

In this episode of Upon Further Inspection, we explore the most common missteps and best practices in RBI implementation, examining what separates programs that deliver lasting value from those that fall short. The discussion highlights the importance of defining clear goals before selecting technology, building a culture where risk-based language is spoken at every level of the organization, and...

In part 1 of our interview with Lionel Roberts, he reflects on his early career at Canadian refineries, where limited resources and mentorship pushed him to think creatively and build a strong professional network. The conversation delves into Lionel's experiences at independent refineries without access to major company resources, highlighting how he leveraged industry organizations like NAC...

In this episode of Upon Further Inspection, we explore the challenges and best practices for optimizing enterprise asset management systems while maintaining high availability and safety performance. The discussion highlights the importance of designing digital frameworks around organizational needs, supported by strong processes such as RBI, root cause analysis, and MOC programs, along with clear...

In the 20th episode, we mark a significant milestone, reflecting on our past guests and their diverse insights. We express gratitude to our guests and their employers for the invaluable conversations that have helped broaden the podcast’s scope, including Andri Orphanides, John Reynolds, Lynne Kaley, Bobby Wright, Clay White, and Alexander Gonzalez. We highlight the importance of networking, commu...

In part 2 of our interview with Alex Gonzalez, we dive into the challenges and opportunities of implementing mechanical integrity programs in modern facilities. Alex shares his experiences rolling out RBI and inspection management platforms across an enterprise, discussing the critical importance of breaking down organizational silos and securing executive buy-in for successful implementation. The...

In part 1 of our interview, we welcome Alex Gonzalez, an asset performance management specialist with extensive experience in the mechanical integrity field. Alex traces his career from his studies in materials engineering and metallurgy in Venezuela through his current work in Canada's oil and gas sector. The discussion covers his focus on corrosion science, the role political circumstances...

Part 2 of our interview with Bill Valerioti, a semi-retired petrochemicals and chemical industry SME, is now available!  We dive right in with an interesting comparison between the chemical and refining industries. Bill draws on his extensive experience to emphasize the abundance of information available in refining compared to the more secretive nature of chemical manufacturing. Bill also contras...

We have a deep dive into materials engineering and corrosion this time around!  In part 1 of our interview, we welcome Bill Valerioti, a semi-retired petrochemicals and chemical industry SME. From his early days in chemical engineering to finding his passion for materials engineering and corrosion – Bill shares insight into his passion for materials failure analysis, mechanical integrity, and chem...

We’re excited to welcome Clay White to the podcast! In this episode, Clay shares personal experiences and incidents that fueled his dedication to improving industry safety standards. He reflects on historical events, including the polypropylene reactor leak, and how these shaped his approach to safety. The conversation explores challenges in data management, the critical role of Damage Mechanism R...