Risk and the 10th Edition of API Q1

[튜터 유문종]

Have you ever thought a revision to API Spec Q1 could cause potential risk?

In September 2023, the American Petroleum Institute published its most sweeping set of changes to Spec Q1 since the inception of the 9th Edition in 2014, including the issuance of Addendum 2 in 2018.

There have been some 2,000 verbiage modifications to the 10th Edition, which affects more than 85 percent of the specification.

Although there have been numerous editorial revisions, the bulk of the changes have changed the intent of Q1.

The magnitude of these changes may expose users to potential risks due to the nature of the modifications. Several potential risks are associated with including “services-based” terminology in a specification that has been conventionally focused on manufacturing and servicing for 37 years.

A significant transformation has occurred due to the reintroduction of the term “product.” 

This term has been expanded to include the new business types introduced in the 10th Edition and is mentioned nearly 250 times throughout the document, leading to the need for rephrasing and expanding its requirements.

The 10th Edition changes have also relaxed some of the specification’s longstanding requirements such as eliminating the need for a quality manual in a high-risk industry.

There are many potential risks with the 10th Edition; below is an infographic that highlights seven of the more obvious risks.

Organizations that have yet to commence their gap analysis and/or revision processes should initiate them promptly to prevent any delay in meeting their implementation deadline.