New API Safety Standards Enhance Industry Equipment And Operations

The American Petroleum Institute’s Global Industry Services department (API Global) released two new safety standards: API Standard 16AR - Standard for Repair and Remanufacture of Drill-through Equipment and API Standard 18LCM - Product Life Cycle Management System Requirements for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries.

“Industry standards developed by API support the industry goal of zero accidents and leadership in environmental stewardship; they also illustrate the industry’s commitment of operationalizing safety such that workers return home safely,” said Lisa Salley, API’s vice president for global industry services. “The standards are a great example of what can be done when industry, all key stakeholders work together to achieve the common goal of continuously improving safety for global industry operations.”  

API Standard 16AR covers the testing, inspection, welding, marking, certification, handling, storing, and shipping of equipment repaired or remanufactured per this standard. API Standard 18LCM identifies requirements for service providers of life cycle management and the activities required to perform product life cycle management including determination of product life cycle management status, actions required to maintain a status, and development of the life cycle management plan.

“These standards enhance the safety of industry operations, assure quality, and help drive standardization.” said David Miller, API director of standards development. “These first edition standards continue API’s long-standing tradition of building industry-driven consensus standards through our ANSI-accredited process.”

These new standards are developed under API’s rigorous standards development process accredited by the American National Standards Institute, ANSI, the same body that accredits programs at several national laboratories. The process is open, transparent and ensures that the best minds from government, academia, the public and industry fully participate in the development of API standards, and API undergoes regular third-party audits to ensure its program meets ANSI’s Essential Requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and due process.

API first began publishing standards in 1924 and currently has over 650 standards and technical publications. Over 200 of them have been incorporated into U.S. regulations, and they are the most widely cited industry standards by international regulators. Government-referenced standards are freely available to review online.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans.