API Summer Standardization Conference 2017

Welcome to QSI’s API Standardization Conference Newsletter
(Exploration & Production)

I recently attended the following American Petroleum Institute’s meetings at the 2017 API Summer Standardization Conference held in Calgary, Canada the week of June 26th. My main focus was on the following:

• SC 18 – Subcommittee on Quality
• SC 20 – Subcommittee on Supply Chain Management

Important Changes

The following important changes are coming (click the link below to jump to section):

SC18

1. API Spec. Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2
2. API Spec. Q1, 10th Edition and ISO 9001:2015
3. API Spec. Q2, Revision
4. Technical Report 18TR4, Welding
5. Additions to the APIQR Certification Activities
   • Non-OEM Organization Repair and Remanufacturing
   • SC20 Service Standards
6. API Product Specs. Being Revised
7. Design Centers

SC20

1. Documents Under SC20
2. Specifications & Standards
3. SC20 as a Normative Reference
4. API Standard 20M

Subcommittee 18 Overview

1. API Spec. Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2 – A new addendum will be released to identify BSEE concerns over industry bolting issues. While only a few sections of Q1 will be changed, the intent of the changes will be significant. Some of the changes (these are only examples) will relate to the following; however, take note that the wording has not yet been finalized:
   
   • Purchasing controls related to changes in the supply chain that can negatively affect the quality of critical activities or products
   • Supplier ability to meet the applicable API product specification and industry standards
   • Supply chain: suppliers and any associated sub-supplier(s)
   • The addition of coating and plating that can impact product function as addressed in Validation of Process for Production and Servicing

    
   I strongly suggest that no action with regards to changing your management system until the addendum has been issued. While the new Q1 changes have been proposed due to the bolting issues, the changes would apply to any product where quality may be impaired.

   If you are interested in further reading, I suggest you go to the BSEE home page and type in “bolting” into the search bar: http://www.bsee.gov/.

   A ballot resolution meeting will be held next week. Once all the comments have been responded to, the document will begin the editing and publishing process.

   While this was reported in the 2017 Winter Conference Newsletter, finalization of the document is getting closer.

 

2. Q1, 10th Edition & ISO 9001:2015 – SC18 Task Group 2 has the responsibility to review the ISO 9001:2015 document and identify the changes that will be needed to API Spec. Q1.TG2 has held several meetings and begun their efforts – Q1, 10th Edition changes are underway. They are making good progress, so hopefully this document will be published soon.While this was reported in the 2017 Winter Conference Newsletter, activities related to the revision have been slowed down due to the concentration on Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2.

 

3. API Spec. Q2, Revision – Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for Service Supply Organizations for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries, First Edition (2011), Addendum 1 (2016). A 2-year extension has been granted for the extension of Q2’s 5-year review and revision process. This means that Spec. Q2 will be evaluated over this period for potential changes.While this was reported in the 2017 Winter Conference Newsletter, the revisions are proceeding.

 

4. Technical Report 18TR4, Welding – Technical Report on the Evaluation of Welding Requirements as Applicable to API Product Specifications has been approved and is still in the edit and publishing cycle (this is the SC 18, Task Group 6 output; the group that I chaired).This report has to do with standardizing welding requirements between API Monogram Program product specifications where welding is performed. The report does not identify welding requirements; however, it does expand upon ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1 requirements related to applicable product specifications.While this was reported in the 2017 Winter Conference Newsletter, the delay relates to finding an easy method for users of the document to print the approximate 20 plus Excel spreadsheets that accompany the document.

 

5. Additions to the APIQR Certification Activities
   • Non-OEM Organization Repair and Remanufacturing
     API Quality Registrar plans to add the following repair and remanufacture documents to their certification activities:
     • 18LCM, Product Life Cycle Management System Requirements for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries, 1st Edition
     • 16AR, Standard for Repair and Remanufacture of Drill-through Equipment, 1st Edition (Published April 2017)

      
     Certification to these documents is intended for companies that specialize in repair and remanufacture activities and not the Original Equipment Manufacturing companies.

    
   • SC20 Service Standards
     API Quality Registrar is planning on adding the following SC20 service provider documents to their certification activities:
     • Non-destructive examination, Standard 20D (Published September 2013)
     • Welding services, Standard 20G (under development)
     • Heat treating services, Standard 20H (Published October 2015)
     • Distributors, Standard 20J (Published May 2017)
     • Non-metallic seals, Standard 20L (under development)
     • Machining services, Standard 20M (in publishing)
     • Continuous furnace heat treating services, Standard 20N (under development)
     • Plating and coating, Standard 20P (under development)
     • Subsurface electronics, Standard 20R (under development)

      
     Certification to these documents is intended for companies that provide the service specified by the applicable standard.

     Notes:

     • The details of certification requirements are currently being worked out.
     • It is expected that the requests for certifications will increase once API Quality Registrar documents their certification program requirements for the documents identified above.

    

6. API Product Specs Being Revised – The following API Product Specifications are expected to be revised this year:
   • Specification 5B, Threading, Gauging, and Thread Inspection of Casing, Tubing, and Line Pipe Threads, 16th edition
   • Specification 5CT, Manufacturing of Casing and Tubing, 10th edition
   • Specification 5L, Manufacturing of Line Pipe, 46th edition
   • Specification 6A, Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment, 21st edition (this document had 1198 comments; the committee is in the process of resolving them, 336 comments need to be resolved)
   • Specification 6D, Specification for Pipeline and Piping Valves (actual timeframe revision has not yet been identified)
   • Specification 6DSS, Specification for Subsea Pipeline Valves, 3rd edition

 
More upcoming changes are identified on API’s website under their Annual Standardization Plan for Exploration and Production.
 

7. Design Centers – A new certification program is under consideration for Design Centers. This would apply to a company that has an engineering center that performs design and provides design output to its geographical manufacturing facilities. The details of the program have yet to be outlined.

Subcommittee 20 Overview

1. Documents Under SC20 – There is quite a bit of activity in this subcommittee; shown below are the specifications and standards that the subcommittee on:
   
   • Castings, Spec 20A (Published March 2012) – 2nd Edition to publish 3Q17
   • Open die forgings, Spec 20B (Published April 2013) – Start next revision late 2017
   • Closed die forgings, Spec 20C (Published November 2015)
   • Non-destructive examination, Standard 20D (Published September 2013) – Start next revision late 2017
   • Alloy and carbon steel bolting, Spec 20E (Published August 2012) – 2nd Edition published 1Q2017
   • Corrosion-resistant bolting, Spec 20F (Published June 2015) – 2nd Edition to be published late 4Q2017
   • Welding services, Standard 20G (under development)
   • Heat treating services, Standard 20H (Published October 2015)
   • Distributors, Standard 20J (Published May 2017)
   • Non-metallic seals, Standard 20L (under development) – 1st ballot issued
   • Machining services, Standard 20M (in final publication stage)
   • Continuous furnace heat treating services, Standard 20N (under development)
   • Plating and coating, Standard 20P (under development)
   • Subsurface electronics, Standard 20R (under development)

 

2. Specifications & Standards – You may notice there is a difference in the designators “specification” and “standard.”
   • Specifications – Licensees under a specification must follow the requirements of the specification and API Spec. Q1 as specified under the API Monogram Program. In addition, licensees to these specifications will be allowed to use the API Monogram
   • Standards – depending upon the standard, companies may be required to:
     • Follow API Spec. Q1 as their quality management system requirements
     • Follow the requirements specified by the standard

    
   Additionally, some standards have progressive quality requirements such as a service level 1, 2 or 3. While at this time there are no API requirements to be certified under API Spec. Q1, companies may choose to be certified or may state that they conform to the requirements of the standard.

 

3. SC20 as a Normative Reference – Many API product specifications will consider identifying SC20 documents in the Normative Reference section or elsewhere in the product specification. For example, API Spec. 6D has identified SC20 documents:
   • In Annex G, API 20 Series Supply Chain Management (an Informative Annex)
   • In the Bibliography

    
   In fact, API Spec. 20E currently appears or will appear as a Normative Reference in the following product specifications:

   • 16A, Specification for Drill Through Equipment
   • 16AR, Standard for Repair and Remanufacture of Drill-through Equipment
   • 16C, Choke and Kill Equipment
   • 16F, Specification for Marine Drilling Riser Equipment
   • 6A, Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment, Twentieth Edition
   • 6D, Specification for Pipeline and Piping Valves
   • 6DSS, Specification for Subsea Pipeline Valves
   • 17D, Design and Operation of Subsea Production Systems-Subsea Wellhead and Tree Equipment
   • 17TR8, High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) Design Guidelines

 

4. API Standard 20M – Qualification of Suppliers of Machining Services for Use in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries – (I am the Chairman of this Task Group).The Task Group has been underway since late 2015. The 20M Standard is intended for the qualification of machining service companies that perform all types of machining for the Oil & Gas Industry. Standard 20M is intended to alleviate supplier audits by the equipment manufacturers. It includes 3 levels of Machining Qualification Levels – MQL 1, MQL 2, and MQL 3. Here are some highlights of the 3 levels:
    
   • MQL 1 – intended for machining services companies that machine customer-owned materials and/or products. MQL 1 suppliers will be required to meet approximately 11 quality management system requirements that have been specifically tailored for machine shops. MQL 1 suppliers cannot purchase materials or outsource services.

    

   • MQL 2 – intended for machining services that have a more robust quality management system that meets ISO 9001 requirements, including select additional requirements as identified by 20M’s quality management system requirements. MQL 2 machining services suppliers may purchase raw materials and outsource service, but only from customer approved suppliers.

    

   • MQL 3 – intended for machining services that meet the extended requirements of API Spec. Q1 requirements, including select additional requirements as identified by 20M’s quality management system requirements. MQL 3 machining services suppliers may purchase raw materials or outsource services.

    
   20M will allow MQL 1 machining services suppliers to issue a declaration of conformity to the requirements specified therein. MQL 2 and MQL 3 machining services suppliers are eligible to engage with API under API Quality Registrar for a quality management system certification to ISO 9001 and/or Q1 respectively, as the need dictates.

Changes

While it is impossible to be involved in all of the technical meetings held at the standardization conferences, it is important to understand that these meetings result in the development of new documents and changes to existing technical documents. Fortunately, the API has several web pages dedicated to the identification of changes:

• Standards & Errata
• Annual Standardization Plan

Remember to perform a gap analysis to document changes to the product specifications and other industry codes and standards that have an impact upon your product and quality management system. Here is a summary of the actions you should take:
 

• A gap analysis will need to be performed to document the differences between the previous and the new revisions (Q1, Section 4.4.4)
• A determination will need to be made as to whether or not the changes to any product specifications represent a risk to your existing design and/or current quality management system (i.e., a risk assessment to Q1, Section 5.3)
• A Management of Change (Q1, Section 5.11) may need to be implemented with regards to the revised quality management system documents
• Revised documents (Q1, Section 4.4.3) will need to be reviewed, approved, and distributed
• Training (Q1, Section 4.3.2.3) will be required for the changes to the quality management system