API Winter Standardization Conference 2018

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

Updates from the President

I recently attended the American Petroleum Institute’s 2018 Winter Standardization Conference held in San Antonio, TX the week of January 22nd. My main focus was on the following:

• SC18 – Subcommittee on Quality
• SC20 – Subcommittee on Supply Chain Management
• SC5 – Subcommittee on Tubular Goods
• SC6 – Subcommittee on Valves & Wellhead Equipment

Milestones

I chaired the following API Task Groups which resulted in the publication of API documents:

• API SC18, Task Group TG6 on Welding – Resulted in the publication of API 18TR4, Technical Report on the Evaluation of Welding Requirements as Applicable to API Product Specifications, 1st Edition.
  • Work began in August of 2011
  • Dated – 12/1/2017. Notice of Publication – 12/13/2017

• API SC 20, Task Group 20M – Resulted in the publication of API Standard 20M, Qualification of Suppliers of Machining Services for Use in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries, 1st Edition.
  • Work began in October of 2015
  • Dated – 10/1/2017. Notification of Publication – 10/10/2017

I received a Resolution of Appreciation from the API Committee Chairs on Thursday, January 25, 2018 for my efforts in chairing these task groups. See certificates below:

These documents, 18TR4 and 20M, are available through API Authorized Standards Distributors available here.

Important Changes

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

SC18 – Subcommittee on Quality

1. API Spec. Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2
2. API Spec. Q1, 10th Edition and ISO 9001:2015
3. API Spec. Q2, Revision
4. API Product Audit Questions
5. API Nonconformance Database
6. API Composite List
7. Design Centers
8. 18LCM
9. 16AR

SC20 – Subcommittee on Supply Chain Management

1. Document Matrix
2. Documents Published in API Monogram Program Product Specifications
3. Business Needs (Process Defined)
4. New Business Item (3D Printing)

SC5 – Subcommittee on Tubular Goods

SC6 – Subcommittee on Valves & Wellhead Equipment

Documenting Your Gap Analysis

Subcommittee 18 Overview

1. API Spec. Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2 – Addendum 2 is pending ballot comment resolution. It is anticipated that there will be a resolution meeting sometime in February or April 2018, which will mean that the addendum will most likely get published sometime in Q2, 2018. Please read our previous post here for information on what has changed and why.

 

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 incorporated to API Spec. Q1. TG2 has held several meetings and began their efforts on Q1, 10th Edition changes; however, as reported in the 2017 Summer Standardization Conference Newsletter, activities related to the revision have been slowed down due to the concentration on Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2. A new initiative will commence in March 2018 to facilitate these changes.

 

3. API Spec. Q2, Revision – Q2 remains in the revision process. It is anticipated that the changes may be available for the 2018 API Summer Standardization Conference in June.

 

4. API Audit, Product Questions – API product questions are in the process of being reassessed:
   • The product questions are going to be modified to include questions that better relate to a licensees scope (as shown in the API Composite List) and level of conformity to the specifications to which they are licensed
   • 10 sites in North America will be audited using the new product checklists
   • The audit effort will begin soon and wrap-up in June 2018
   • The intent is to modify the product questions for all product specifications

 

5. API Nonconformance Reporting Website – This site has been revised to allow anonymous reporting, which means that an individual doing the reporting does not need to identify themselves. You can access it here.

 

6. API Composite List – The Composite List will be enhanced to allow search features for SC20 Series, including document number, licensee’s scope, and their Q1 quality management system certification. The update will include a more in-depth discussion of 3D printing, including a discussion of material sciences related to this process. In other words, this process is different than current metal forming processes and the viability of using 3D printed product, including material/product integrity, will need to be evaluated.

 

7. Design Centers – As reported in the 2017 Summer Standardization Conference Newsletter, 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. There have been no changes to the status of this activity.

 

8. API Standard 18LCM: Product Life Cycle Management System Requirements for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries, First Edition –  An APIQR registration program was created and available on January, 16 2018 for those companies interested in being registered. Registration will consist of the need to meet the technical requirements of 18LCM and the requirements of API Spec. Q2: Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for the Service Supply Organization for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries.

 

9. API Standard 16AR: Standard for Repair and Remanufacture of Drill-through Equipment, First Edition, Errata 1 – This is the next document that will be available for an APIQR registration program as soon as APIQR completes it.

Subcommittee 20 Overview – Subcommittee on Supply Chain Management

* Specification: Interested companies are eligible to apply for an API Monogram Program License (20A, 20B, 20C, 20E, and 20F).
 
** Standard: A Quality Registration Program is being identified, developed, clarified, and will eventually be implemented for the service standards (20D, 20G, 20H, 20J, 20L, 20M, 20N, 20P, 20R). Interested parties will be eligible to apply for APIQR Quality Management System Certification.
 

2. SC20 Documents – They are starting to find their way into API Monogram Program product specifications; as an example, 20E and 20F as a “Normative Reference”:
   • Both have currently been incorporated into 6DSS (Specification for Subsea Pipeline Valves), 16A (Specification for Drill Through Equipment), 16AR (Standard for Repair and Remanufacture of Drill-through Equipment), 16F (Specification for Marine Drilling Riser Equipment), and 17TR8 (High-pressure High-temperature Design Guideline for Subsea Equipment).
   • Will be incorporated in 6A, 21st Edition (Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment) and 6D, 25th Edition (Specification for Pipeline and Piping Valves).

   Other SC20 documents are also being considered for incorporation into the Normative Reference Section of API Product Specifications by the relevant Subcommittees.

 

3. SC20 Business Needs – The following is a high-level explanation of how the SC20 documents were developed:
   • A business need has been created because SC20 documents:
     • Have been published (some).
     • Are in the process of being developed (some).
     • Are being included as information references in API Monogram Program product specifications.
       • Some are included as normative references.
       • Some are included as informative references prior to becoming normative.
     • Are initially being discussed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in their communications with their supply chains. More contact will become evident after the API presents a quality registration program to the industry for service standards.
     • May be needed as a solution to the revision to API Spec. Q1, 9th Edition, Addendum 2 regarding the “supply chain” and “critical product, components or activities.”

    

   • Overview of How the SC20 Documents Have Come into Realization:
     • A business need was identified by the industry (operators and OEMs) to extend API requirements further down into the supply chain.
     • Documents were then developed by relevant task group(s), including subject matter experts for the products/services covered, and published:
       • Some product specifications (20A, 20B, 20C, 20E, and 20F) are now part of the API Monogram Program and licenses are available.
       • A Quality Registration Program  is being identified, developed, clarified, and  will eventually be implemented for the service standards (20D, 20G, 20H, 20J, 20L, 20M, 20N, 20P, 20R).
       • API will audit SC20 Series applicants to the relevant specification or standard and the applicable quality management system, such as API Spec. Q1.
       • Organizations who successfully pass the process will be identified in an enhanced API Composite List.
       • This creates a licensed (for monogram products) or certified (for service standards) organization, which is discoverable by others using the API Composite List.
       • This provides:
         • OEM confidence in their supply chain.
         • Savings to the licensed/certified companies (less customer audits).
         • Savings to the industry at large.
         • Product/service consistency and integrity.

 

4. SC20, New Business Item, 3D Printing – The subject of 3D Printing was raised during the 2017 API Summer Standardization Conference in Calgary. While there was no update this meeting, the next update will come during the 2018 API Summer Standardization Conference in Denver, June 11 – 15.

Subcommittee 5 Overview – Subcommittee on Tubular Goods

A work group has been established in SC5 to address new measuring technologies (e.g., for optical measurement) and the necessary methods that may be needed to validate the identified technology. These technologies are not currently included in the 5 series product specifications. Once the work group finalizes their efforts, it is hoped that the new technologies can be integrated into the applicable product specifications.

Subcommittee 6 Overview – Subcommittee on Valves & Wellhead Equipment

SC6 is closing out the remaining ballot items on API Spec. 6A. It is anticipated that the draft will be finalized by June 2018.  Also, it is expected that the implementation time frame for 6A from the date of being published to the date of effectiveness will be one (1) year, meaning that licensees will have a year to implement the new changes.

API Spec. 6D will go to the 25th Edition; the revision activities will begin soon with a publish date sometime in 2019.

Remember to Document Your Gap Analyses!

Based upon all the upcoming changes to API documents, it is extremely important that you remember to document your gap analyses.

While it may seem that this is business as usual, companies licensed under an API product specification or who have a quality management system certification are obliged to follow API Spec. Q1, Clause 4.4.4, Use of External Documents in Product Realization which states:

“When API product or other external specification requirements, including addenda, errata, and updates, are used in the design or manufacture of the product, the organization shall maintain a documented procedure for the integration of these requirements into the product realization process and any other affected processes.”

In other words, this means a consideration whether or not:

• A gap analysis will need to be performed to document the differences between the previous and the new revisions.
• 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) and whether or not changes need to be made.
• If the changes present a risk, then a risk assessment will need to be documented.
• If changes are to be made, a management of change will need to be implemented with regards to the impact the revised specification will have upon your quality management system and related documentation.
• Upon making all the changes, relevant personnel will need to be trained; the training will need to be documented and training effectiveness will have to be determined.
• Subsequently all the changes will have to be implemented.

QSI offers a variety of software applications and supporting documentation to help keep your QMS in compliance, regardless of upcoming revisions to industry standards or specs. Our applications include:

• Codes & Standards (Gap Analysis)
• Risk Assessment
• Management of Change
• Training

You can customize the applications to meet your company’s needs, no matter your company’s size. View a comprehensive list of all software applications here.

Be aware that the API Monogram Program Licensing Requirements have been revised; you can view them here.

Keep your eyes open for document changes on API’s website on their Annual Standards Plan webpage.