Element Materials Technology Expands Houston Laboratory with Advanced In-situ Testing for the Oil and Gas Industry
HOUSTON - March 25, 2026: Element Materials Technology (“Element”), a leading global provider of testing, inspection and certification services, has announced an expansion of its Houston laboratory with advanced, new in-situ testing capabilities for components used in demanding oil and gas environments. The investment increases global testing capacity and builds on similar expansions made last year in Europe, reflecting the growing global demand for advanced energy testing services.
With the addition of 10 new servo-hydraulic test frames equipped with environmental vessels, Element is adding extensive new in-situ capability. Key additions include a large-chamber scanning electron microscope (or SEM), for failure analysis and metallurgical evaluation of larger, more complex samples; 35 additional sour service and hydrogen autoclaves for corrosion, aging and environmental exposure studies; and service simulation vessels to replicate field conditions for coating and polymer validation.
The new capabilities are particularly relevant for applications affected by hydrogen exposure, sour service and rapid gas decompression. They can help identify potential failure mechanisms earlier and reduce the risk of downtime, unplanned maintenance and safety incidents.
Corey Demidovich, SVP for Element’s Aerospace and Energy business unit in the Americas, commented: “As the industry moves toward deeper wells, higher pressures and more aggressive chemistries, operators and manufacturers are asking for test data that reflects what equipment experiences in the field, not just what’s possible in a lab. This investment adds significant new in-situ capability so customers can qualify materials faster, make design decisions with greater confidence and reduce the risk of in-service failures as operating conditions and materials continue to evolve.”
Element’s Houston laboratory operates to recognized standards and frameworks, including those from API, ASME, DNV and ISO. The laboratory combines standards-based test programs with service simulation to support material qualification, supplier validation and failure investigations.
Demidovich added: “Ultimately, this expansion decision was driven by our desire to help customers make decisions with more confidence. By combining standards-based testing with in- situ service simulation, we can help teams identify risk sooner, move through qualification faster and reduce the likelihood of in-field issues in demanding environments.”
The Houston expansion builds on a series of recent European investments made by Element as part of a broader strategy to support the global energy market. These include a USD $3 million investment announced last September in a new European Centre of Excellence for energy testing in Aberdeen, UK, focused on hydrogen and sour service, alongside continued investment in R&D capabilities in Hitchin, UK, and a specialised corrosion testing facility in Milan, Italy. Together, these capabilities strengthen Element’s global network and its ability to serve energy customers worldwide.
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About Element Materials Technology
Element is one of the world’s leading providers of laboratory-based testing services. We support 50,000+ customers operating in some of the world’s most technical and highly regulated industries where failure in use of their products, materials and technologies is not an option. Headquartered in London, UK, Element’s 8,500+ scientists, engineers, and technologists, work across a global network of 270+ laboratories, and support customers from early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals, and into production ensuring their products are safe and sustainable and achieve market access.
For more information about Element, please visit our website, connect with us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
About Element’s Aerospace, Energy and Defense Business Unit
Element Materials Technology is the largest independent provider of materials testing, product qualification testing, calibration, and advisory services to the global Aerospace Testing sector. With 43 laboratories in the Americas and 58 in EMEAA, including 29 Nadcap accredited labs with 41 different Nadcap accreditations, Element supports the entire aerospace supply chain.
Our 3,000+ technicians, engineers, and scientists, backed by over 100 years of experience in both commercial and military aerospace testing, deliver a comprehensive range of destructive and non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection services for a wide variety of materials, components, products, and systems. The company's unrivaled international capability, footprint, and geographic reach enable it to support Aerospace Primes, and their supply chain partners throughout the entire product life cycle, from R&D to manufacture, life extension, and disposal, helping them to develop better products, get to market on time, save time and money, and minimize business risk.
For more information, visit: https://www.element.com/aerospace or follow us on LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Kate Aldridge, VP Communications, E: kate.aldridge@element.com M: +44 7767 705364