Inspection Priority Score Estimator
Set five weighted likelihood and consequence factors and watch the engine plot your asset on a live risk matrix - with a full, weighted breakdown of exactly how it got there.
Likelihood factors
Consequence factor
Result
Medium priority
Consider tightening the inspection interval
- 01Likelihood factors combined
Age (5/10 × 0.8) + construction/material risk (5/10 × 1.2) + history of anomalies (2/10 × 1.8, weighted highest) + time since last inspection (5/10 × 0.7) = 17.1 raw points out of a possible 45.
- 02Mapped to a 1-5 likelihood band
17.1 / 45 scales to likelihood 2 on a 1 (rare) to 5 (near-certain) scale.
- 03Consequence factor
Consequence area is scored 5/10, scaling to consequence 3 on a 1 (minor) to 5 (severe) scale. Note: a full RBI consequence assessment typically also weighs safety, environmental, and economic impact separately - this tool simplifies that to a single factor.
- 04Matrix placement
Plotted at likelihood 2, consequence 3 on the risk matrix below - the combination that determines the overall priority band.
- 05Overall priority band
Likelihood 2 + consequence 3 = 5, which this tool's illustrative banding maps to "Medium priority." These specific thresholds are our own simplified illustration, not an official API 580 value - API 580 leaves exact matrix definitions to each operator's own programme.
- Risk-based inspection: how operators prioritise pipeline segments
LeakSonic blog - the RBI concepts this tool illustrates.
- Why pipeline failures still happen: root causes worldwide
LeakSonic blog - context on the likelihood factors used here.
- What actually determines inspection priority (this tool, explained)
LeakSonic blog - full methodology write-up for this tool.
- API - American Petroleum Institute
Publisher of API 580/581, the risk-based inspection standard this tool's matrix shape is loosely modelled on.
- ASME
Publisher of ASME B31.8S, the pipeline integrity management standard referenced across our RBI content.
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Methodology & limits
Four likelihood factors (age, construction/material risk, history of anomalies, time since last inspection) are combined with individual weights - history carries the most weight because documented past findings are the strongest single risk signal - and scaled to a 1-5 likelihood band. A fifth factor, consequence area, scales to a 1-5 consequence band. The two bands place your asset on a 5x5 likelihood x consequence matrix in the general shape used by API 580-style risk-based inspection programmes. The specific band thresholds are our own simplified illustration, not API 580's official values, since API 580 leaves matrix definition to each operator. This tool does not use your actual asset data and is not a substitute for a formal RBI programme aligned to applicable codes and standards.
Frequently asked
What is the Inspection Priority Score Estimator?
A free engine that models a pipeline segment or refinery asset on a likelihood x consequence risk matrix - the shape used across API 580-style risk-based inspection methodology. Four weighted likelihood factors and one consequence factor are combined, plotted on a 5x5 matrix, and explained line-by-line in an insight log.
Does this replace a real risk-based inspection (RBI) programme?
No, and it says so on the page. A formal RBI programme uses your actual asset data, multiple consequence categories (safety, environmental, economic), applicable codes and standards, and an operator-defined risk matrix. This tool illustrates the same underlying logic in simplified form - it is not a substitute for that process.
Why is inspection history weighted more heavily than the other likelihood factors?
A documented history of anomalies or repairs is typically the strongest single predictor of future risk, so it carries a ×1.8 weight in the likelihood calculation versus ×0.7-1.2 for the other three likelihood factors. The insight log shows the exact weighted arithmetic behind every result.
Is the risk matrix based on an official API 580 threshold?
The 5x5 likelihood/consequence matrix shape is modelled on the style used across API 580-based programmes, but the specific priority-band thresholds used here are our own simplified illustration - API 580 deliberately leaves exact matrix definitions to each operator's own programme, and we say that plainly rather than implying an official standard number.
Want this done properly, on your real network or site?
This tool gives you a fast, illustrative estimate. Sentrix gives you a defensible, evidence-backed answer, built on your actual data. Tell us about your network or site and we'll walk you through it.