About API Specification Q1
The American Petroleum Institute (API) is an organization that promotes oil and petroleum in the United States. They have published and maintain more than 600 product specifications, as well as API Specification Q1 and API Q2. API Q1 has been developed to address Quality Management Systems for organizations that manufacture products or provide manufacturing-related services under a product specification for use in the petroleum and natural gas industry.
The goal of this specification is to outline the minimum requirements for the development of a Quality Management System that provides for continual improvement, emphasizes defect prevention, and strives to minimize variation and waste from manufacturing organizations. It is designed to promote reliability in the manufacturing sector of the petroleum and natural gas industry.
Mireaux has helped many clients achieve API Q1 certification through our proven API Q1 consulting. Furthermore we support organizations with expert-led API Q1 training, auditing, managed services and Web QMS software.
API Specification Q1 Turnkey Consulting
Compared to the ISO 9001:2015 standard, API Q1 offers no compromise. Every requirement is clearly laid out to ensure that your Quality Management System is the best in class. If you are considering adopting API Q1, you are demonstrating a desire to supply the oil and gas industry with the highest quality manufactured products as well as having a management team who believes that quality processes add value and ensure long-term success.
Our API Q1 Turnkey Consulting services prime your organization for achieving every one of the API Q1 requirements.
API Specification Q1 Audits
With thousands of certificate holders across the globe, API Q1 is the American Petroleum Institute’s flagship certification. Audits against API Q1 focus on “Quality”, auditing every requirement of this specification against the organization’s Quality Management System.
Auditors with knowledge of API Q1 are not as prevalent as those auditing ISO 9001, and competency is usually achieved through working knowledge of the standard. Mireaux’s Auditors qualified to audit against API Q1 have extensive expertise to provide thorough and valuable audits, typically using a checklist similar to the API checklist to better prepare an organization for the actual API Audits.
While the API Spec Q1 9th Edition is geared towards organizations who manufacture or fabricate products, the API Spec Q2 certification addresses Quality Management System for service supply organizations for the upstream petroleum and natural gas industries.
API Q2 includes generic Quality Management System requirements, as well as additional requirements that target the execution of services or provision of service-related products in the execution of the service. The requirements are structured in a way to minimize the likelihood of nonconformity in the execution of a service.
More specifically, API Q2 is intended to apply to the execution of upstream services during exploration, development and production in the oil and gas industry. This includes activities involved in oil and gas well construction, intervention, production, and abandonment. API Q2 requirements also apply to activities associated with well servicing, equipment repair/maintenance and inspection activities.
By considering API Spec Q2 certification, you are showing the highest commitment to delivering best in class services to oil and gas operators in the petroleum industry as well as a commitment toward quality improvement, greater operational efficiency, increased profitability, and a purposeful customer focus.
Reach your API Q2 certification and compliance goals with Mireaux’s proven Turnkey Consulting services.
For being one of the newest standards on the block, API Q2 has built a reputation as one of the toughest management systems standards available and has inarguably strengthened the American Petroleum Institute’s certification programs. Audits against API Q2 focus on “Quality”, auditing every requirement of this specification against the organization’s Quality Management System (QMS).
Auditors with knowledge of API Q2 are infrequent, and as this standard is only a few years old, competency is usually achieved by performing audits. Mireaux’s Auditors qualified to audit against API Q2 have expertise Consulting and Auditing, and typically use a checklist similar to the API checklist to better prepare an organization for the actual API Audits.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has over 600 product specifications designed to facilitate the consistent manufacturing of products used in the petroleum and gas industry.
By adhering to these API product specifications and being part of the API Monogram program, licensed manufacturers have an opportunity to mark conforming product so that is easily identifiable in the field as well as traceable back to the place and date of manufacture. API Monograms are highly recognized across the world as the seal of approval for quality and reliable product performance. Products carrying the API Monograms are usually preferred over products who do not carry such.
Mireaux has experience helping manufacturing organizations achieve API product certification and being able to monogram their products.
Mireauxms Team with Lonestar Team Members
API Monograms are highly recognized across the world as the seal of approval for quality and reliable product performance. Products carrying the API Monograms are usually preferred over products who do not carry such.
Mireaux personnel has the capability to assist your organization implement an API product specification alongside and ensure that your organization also complies with all requirements of API Specification Q1.
The API Monogram Program identifies organizations that have demonstrated the ability to manufacture, new equipment that conforms to API product specifications.
Licenses are only issued after an on-site audit has verified conformance to product specifications and API Spec Q1 Quality Management System requirements. Audits are then conducted upon Renewal which is every three years or on an annual basis if the organization also holds API Q1 management system registration.
API monogram audits also require compliance to API Q1 requirements. Mireaux Auditors are well-versed in API Q1 as well as API product specifications
Achievement of API Q1 certification can provide organizations with significant benefits as outlined below:
- Helps create very efficient and consistent processes
- Increases productivity
- Increases customer satisfaction
- Strengthens the supply chain
- Ensures changes are controlled and risks are minimized
- Helps establish a robust training program
- Offers significant financial savings through error reduction
- Creates a framework for future continual improvement
While API Q1 used to mirror the ISO 9001 standard closely; with the advent of its 9th edition published in June of 2014, API Q1 made large strides to carve its own path. The API Q1 9th Edition goes more in detail at every requirement, raising the bar and leaving no room to comply with just the “minimum.” Like ISO 9001, API Q1 provides proven tools for organizations to establish, assess, and improve the quality of the day-to-day processes that make them run, however it does so in a more detailed way, prescribing necessary procedures, programs and metrics to ensure the organization can meet the demands of the petroleum industry.
API Q1 is currently in its 9th Edition. Organizations seeking new certifications must comply with this version.
Mireaux Management Solutions offers Turnkey Consulting assistance in your organization’s quest for API Q1 certification, working diligently with a team made up of a dedicated API Q1 Consultant, Auditor, Technical Writer and Trainer, all of whom understand compliance and the stringent requirements of API. Utilizing our Proven Consulting Approach, we guarantee successful certification for any organization working with us.
Mireaux has a wealth of experience with this standard, from API Q1 consulting for organizations to help them achieve certification, to auditing them, to providing API-U approved courses; Mireaux is the authority in API Spec Q1.
In general, the following documented information is requested during any API Q1 Audit, whether is an internal audit, gap analysis, or similar audit.
- Quality Manual
- Quality Policy
- Quality Objectives
- All procedures required
- Risk Assessment records
- Contingency Plans
- Critical and Non-Critical Supplier records
- Preventive Maintenance and Calibration records
- Internal Audit report/evidence
- Management Review inputs and outputs
- Competence and Training records
- Other records required by the standard
- Etc.
Depending on the Audit Type as well as the organization’s product or services, audits to the API Q1 standard, focus on the following areas:
- Top Management
- Quality Assurance
- Document Control
- Contract Review/Sales
- Operations
- Engineering
- Purchasing
- HR and Training
While API Q1 originally derived from ISO 9001, currently they are not perfectly aligned, however one could say that API Q1 has higher and more specific requirements than ISO 9001. On the contrary, the latest version of ISO 9001 does have a few requirements not part of API Q1, and therefore with minor additions, both standards can be combined to become an Integrated Audit.
Mireaux Auditors have conducted numerous audits for organizations certified to both API Q1 and ISO 9001 and are well equipped to do this, with minor modifications to the audit time.
- Helps create very efficient and consistent processes
- Increases productivity
- Helps establish a robust training program
- Increases customer satisfaction
- Strengthens the supply chain
- Ensures changes are controlled and risks are minimized
- Offers significant financial savings through error reduction
- Creates a framework for future continual improvement
Mireaux Management Solutions offers Turnkey Consulting assistance in your organization’s quest for API Q2 certification, working diligently with a team made up of a dedicated API Q2 Consultant, Auditor, Technical Writer and Trainer, all of whom understand compliance and the stringent requirements of API. Utilizing our Proven Consulting Approach, we guarantee successful certification for any organization working with us.
Mireaux has a wealth of experience with the API Q2 standard, from API Q2 consulting for organizations to help them achieve certification, to auditing them, to providing API-U approved courses and Web QMS management system software; Mireaux is the authority in API Q2.
API Q1 requirements apply to manufacturing companies, while API Q2 requirements apply to service supply organizations. Both of them present requirements for Quality Management Systems for the petroleum and natural gas industry.
Not every organization can become API Q2 certified. For an organization to apply to the API QR program, it has to supply services to the petroleum and natural gas industry at the well site or rig site.
Nevertheless, not being able to certify does not preclude an organization from utilizing the API Q2 standard as the benchmark for their Quality Management System and continual improvement efforts.
In general, the following documented information is requested during an API Q2 Audit, whether the audit is an Internal Audit, Gap Analysis, or similar audit:
- Quality Manual
- Quality Policy
- Quality Objectives
- All procedures required
- Service Quality Plans
- Risk Assessment records
- Contingency Plans
- Critical and Non-Critical Supplier records
- Preventive Maintenance and Calibration records
- Internal Audit report/evidence
- Management Review inputs and outputs
- Competence and Training records
- List of Critical Spare Parts
- Etc.
Depending on the Audit Type as well as the organization’s services, audits to the API Q2 standard, focus on the following areas:
- Top Management
- Quality Assurance
- Document Control
- Contract Review/Sales
- Operations
- Purchasing
- Maintenance and Facilities
- Logistics
- HR and Training
Although the latest version of ISO 9001 has a few requirements not included in API Spec Q2, most other requirements are similar, albeit described more detailed and in a more prescriptive way in the API Spec Q2. Therefore with minor additions, both standards can be combined to become an Integrated Audit.
Mireaux Auditors have conducted numerous audits for organizations certified to both API Q2 and ISO 9001 and are well equipped to do this, with minor modifications to the audit time.
For up to date information on API Monograms, please visit API’s website at www.api.org.
Here are a few examples of API Specifications available:
- API Spec 4F: Specification for Drilling and Well Services Structures
- API Spec 6A: Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment
- API Spec 7-1: Specification for Rotary Drill Stem Elements
- API Spec 11E: Specification for Pumping Units
When assisting organizations implement API product specifications with the goal of obtaining a monogram license, Mireaux Consultants first determine the product specifications requirements applicable to the organization. Many of the product specifications are applicable to certain PSL and working conditions, and therefore not all requirements may apply. Once applicability has been determined, the process is largely dictated by whether the organization is already certified to a Quality Management System such as API Q1, or ISO 9001 or has no certifications.
If the organization had no QMS certifications, Mireaux uses its Proven Consulting Approach in order to bring the organization’s QMS up and running. A Design Package as well as a Design and Development procedure will also be put in place along with all the requirements of the API product specification in question.
If the organization is already certified to ISO 9001 or API Q1, Mireaux is fully cognizant that the success of the API monogram license rests on leaving no stones unturned in order to better prepare the organization for success. Therefore besides assisting with the Design Package and Design and Development procedures, Mireaux will ensure that all requirements of API Q1, as well as the API product specification in question, have been met.
For up to date information on API Monograms, please visit API’s website at www.api.org. As it stands now, in order for an organization to be licensed to apply an API monogram, the licensee must implement, maintain, and continually improve their Quality Management System to meet the requirements of API Spec Q1, although API Q1 certification is not required.
In essence, the organization applying for an API Monogram need not be certified to API Q1, however if they are not, they still have to be in full compliance with all the applicable requirements of API Q1.
For up to date information on API Monograms, please visit API’s website at www.api.org, where there is an online application process. In general the following steps apply:
- Have a Quality Management System that has been operational for at least four (4) months and is compliant with API Spec Q1.
- Describe the Quality Management System in a Quality Manual. The Quality Manual must recognize each requirement of API Spec Q1.
- Maintain the technical capability to manufacture products compliant with the applicable API product specification.
- Complete and sign the API Spec Q1, 9th Edition Conformity Matrix
- Perform a documented internal audit according to the requirements of API Spec Q1.
- Perform a documented management review according to the requirements of API Spec Q1.
- Submit your Quality Manual, Conformity Matrix and application on the API website.
Aside from the information needed for an API Q1 Audit, following are some of the typical documents sought out during an API Monogram audit:
- Design Package
- Design and Development procedure
- Inspection and Test records
- Etc.
In addition to areas visited during an API Q1 audit, auditing of API Monogram may encompass the following areas:
- Engineering
- Operations
- Quality Assurance
Since an audit of an API Monogram will also encompass API Q1, the output of the API Monogram audit generally consist of an audit report plus checklists relating to API Q1 and the API product specification in question.
Mireaux Auditors have conducted numerous audits of organizations certified to both API Q1 and API product Specifications and are well equipped to conduct efficient Integrated Audits.