Access Fitting

Five Access Fitting Body Styles — How to Choose the Right Connection for Your Installation

The high-pressure access fitting systems provide access to systems under full operating pressure up to 6000psi. Certain models are rated up to 10000psi. The corrosion access fitting is permanently attached to the vessel or pipe, and the service valve and retriever are used to insert or remove the various probes, corrosion coupons, or injection equipment.

The SMARTCORR® access fitting system is available in several main body shapes to meet various installation requirements:

• Flareweld — The most common type, welded directly to the pipe with a flared entry
• Buttweld — Featuring a full-penetration weld for high-integrity applications
• Socketweld — Designed with smaller bore connections
• NPT Threaded — Intended for lower-pressure or retrofit installations
• Flanged — Feature ANSI/API flanged connections per ASME B16.5 for easy removal and maintenance

Selection criteria for any application will include pipe diameter, operating pressure, wall thickness, access requirements, weld qualification constraints, and whether the installation is new construction or a retrofit. Each style comes with its own distinct set of trade-offs regarding installation costs, maintenance accessibility, and pressure rating.

SMARTCORR’s access valves are custom-engineered to match specific site conditions, rather than conforming to off-the-shelf configurations. Materials are selected based on NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 requirements for sour service applications where applicable.

Solid Plug vs. Hollow Plug — Which Assembly Your Monitoring Application Requires

In an access fitting assembly, solid plugs seal the fitting when no monitoring device is installed to provide a pressure-tight barrier rated to the full working pressure of the fitting. This is why they are often used as blanking plugs or for simple corrosion coupon installations where no through-bore access is needed.

On the other hand, hollow plugs are standard assemblies for probe-based monitoring including LPR and electrical resistance probes, chemical injection tubes, and thermowell installations. The hollow bore allows for insertion and retrieval of a monitoring device through the plug while the plug maintains pressure containment.

SMARTCORR® supplies both types of plugs as part of our complete access fitting assemblies, with protective covers that provide secondary containment and protect the ACME thread connection from environmental damage between service interventions.

How SMARTCORR Access Fittings Meet Your Oil & Gas Specifications

SMARTCORR® access valves are available in a range of pressure ratings. The standard systems are rated to 6,000 psi with high-pressure access fittings reaching 10,000 psi. This means our product line covers the full range of upstream production, midstream pipeline, and downstream refining operating pressures.

We also offer numerous material selections, including carbon steel for standard service, stainless steel and duplex stainless steel for corrosive environments, and specialty alloys such as Hastelloy C-276 and Inconel 625 for extreme sour service or high-temperature applications. All our access fittings are manufactured under Six Sigma and LEAN processes using DMG Mori and OKUMA CNC 5-axis machining centers. With our triple ISO certification (9001 Quality, 14001 Environmental, 45001 Safety) covering our manufacturing processes, you can be sure we will deliver the highest possible quality.

Our fittings also meet applicable standards including:

• NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 for sour service material requirements
• ASME B16.5 for flanged connections
• API specifications for pressure equipment

From Upstream Wellheads to Downstream Process Units

Our access fittings serve a variety of roles depending on the sector:

• Upstream operators install access fittings on wellhead tubing, gathering lines, and production separators to monitor CO2 and H2S corrosion
• Midstream pipeline companies deploy hundreds of access points across transmission systems for wall thickness monitoring under PHMSA 49 CFR 192/195 mandates
• Downstream refineries install access fittings on process piping, heat exchangers, and vessels for chemical treatment monitoring and mechanical integrity compliance under OSHA PSM

Beyond the oil and gas sector, our fittings also are used in petrochemical processing, power generation for boiler feedwater systems, water treatment facilities, and mining operations where corrosive process fluids require monitoring.