Recent Advances in the API Quality Program
Authors: Gollhofer F.R. 
Published: October 2008

The American Petroleum Institute (API) now has over three years operating experience in licensing manufacturers under the API Quality Program. The API evaluation procedures, described in this paper, provide consistency in evaluation and should allow full participation of petroleum equipment suppliers in the worldwide market during the 1990's and into the 21st century. The program's flexibility will allow it to cope with significant changes resulting from the planned European Common Market "Global Approach to Certification and Testing" scheduled to take place in 1992.

API. QUALITY.PROGRAM OVERVIEW

In June, 1983, the API Production Department, through its Operating Committee, approved changes in policy to strengthen the API standards. Key changes included:new standards be developed where needed,more strict quality control requirements be included in API specifications,on-site survey of manufacturers be required for licensing, and that,the monogram licensing requirements be separated from the product specifications.

A more complete description of the changes was presented at the 18th Annual OTC, in paper OTC 5239 1

To assist in the implementation of the changes, the Executive Committee on Standardization of Oilfield Equipment and Materials appointed a Committee on Quality in March, 1984. The charge to the Committee was to develop a "quality document" applicable to all API product specifications and to develop recommendations for API staff administration of a survey program.

The first edition of API Spec Q1, API Specification for Quality Programs2, was effective on January 1, 1985. The third edition of API Spec Q1 has been approved and published with an effective date of June 1, 1990.

Evaluation and licensing of manufacturers ofproducts under API Spec 6A, Specification for Well head and Christmas Tree Equipment3, began in April, 1986. By the end of 1990, licensing under 33 of the 48 API Production Department specifications will be under the API Quality Program. Licensing under the remaining specifications will come under the program In 1991.

API LICENSE PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The goal of the API Monogram licensing program is to "consistently, objectively and reliablyidentify manufacturers who are capable of producing products that consistently comply with API specifications. " To provide the foundation for the API licensing, API Bulletin S1 4 policy requires a manufacturer to have the following to use an API monogram on its products:a separate license for each manufacturing site where the monogram would be applied,a separate license for each API specification under which a monogrammed product is produced at that site,an API approved and functioning quality program, and,to renew each license every three years.

Under the quality program, an API monogrammed product simply represents a warranty by the manufacturer that each individual product which bears the monogram conformed, in every detail, with the API specification applicable at the time of manufacture, and it represents that the manufacturer's quality program used to produce that monogrammed item has been evaluated by API against specific API standards.