API Standards 102 Presentation

API Standards Format
and Style
Roland Goodman
Manager, Upstream Standards
American Petroleum Institute
[email protected]
Topics
 Compliance
 Prescriptive vs. performance-based standards
 API document designations
 Expression of provisions
 Common mistakes
Why You Need to Know This
 Standards writer
– Facilitates standards development process if

documents are properly formatted at the beginning of
the process
– Legal interpretation
 Standards user
– Legal interpretation
– Regulatory compliance
– Ease of use (uniform structure, style, and terminology

within a series of documents)
Compliance with Industry
Standards
 All API documents are voluntary unless
imposed by regulation, contract, or company
procedures
 The document type does NOT determine

compliance
Prescriptive vs. Performance-
based Standards
 Prescriptive standard – typically prescribes
materials, design, and construction methods
without stating goals and objectives
 Performance-based standard – expresses

desired characteristics of the final product,
service, or activity rather than requirements for
the processes to produce it
based Standards
 API generally prefers performance-based
 Advantages
– Allows earlier use of new technology
– Encourages innovation
– Goals and objectives are clearly stated
– Development and maintenance requires less
effort
based Standards
 A mixed approach may be necessary
depending on whether or not the requirements
meet the goals and objectives of the standard
 Prescriptive requirements should be

considered when performance-based
requirements lead to costly and complicated
testing procedures
Performance-based Elements
 Establish goals for the standard
 Specify assumptions about the service to be

performed or condition of the equipment and
its environment
 Establish objectives necessary to meet

specified goals
 Establish performance criteria
 Establish verification criteria

API Document Designations
 Specifications
 Standards
 Recommended Practices
 Bulletins and Technical Reports

 Specifications - Documents that are written in

such as way as to facilitate communications
between purchasers, manufacturers, and/or
service suppliers
 Standards - Documents that combine elements

of both specifications and recommended
practices
 Recommended Practices - Documents that

communicate recognized industry practices;
RPs may include both mandatory and non-
mandatory requirements
 Bulletins & Technical Reports - Documents that

convey technical information on a specific
subject or topic and are generally issued on a
one time-basis
Expression of Provisions
Only these terms shall be used!
 shall – indicates that a provision is mandatory
 should – indicates that a provision is not

mandatory, but recommended as good practice
 may – signifies permission and indicates a

provision is optional
 can – used for statements of possibility or

capability
 Do NOT use “must” as an alternative for “shall”
(this will avoid any confusion between the
requirements of a document and jurisdictional
regulatory obligations)
 Do NOT use “must” as alternative for “has to” or

“have to” for statements of fact (e.g. the vapor
has to be above 300 psi in order for the valve to
open)
 Avoid using vague expressions that are not
truly informative and may cause the reader to
make an incorrect judgment call
 Words like “very,” “all,” “every,” “never,”

“excessive,” “slightly,” “approximately,”
“nearly,” or “significant” are NOT useful
Common Mistakes
 Scope contains information that is unrelated to what
the standard covers and/or contains requirements
 Dated vs. undated references to other standards
 Definitions contain requirements or are too lengthy
 Defined terms or abbreviations are not used in the

document
 Annexes are in the wrong order
 Hanging paragraphs
Scope
 Appears at the beginning of each document and
define without ambiguity the subject of the
document and the aspects covered
 Indicates the limits of applicability of the

document and cannot contain “shall” or
“should” statements
 The scope should be brief so that it can be used

as a summary for and the API Publications
Catalog
References to other Documents
 Undated references may be made to a complete
document
 Dated references are references to a specific

edition, indicated by the year of publication
 References to specific sections or subsections,

tables, and figures of another document should
be dated
Definitions
 Only terms used in the document can be defined
 Cannot contain requirements
 Should be a brief, self-contained description of

the term in question (one sentence)
 Any term that is not self-explanatory or

commonly known and which can be differently
interpreted in different contexts should be
defined
Annexes
 Must be referenced at least once in the text
 Must appear in the order in which they are cited

in the text
 Their presence is optional
 Annexes must be identified as “informative”

(FYI) or “normative” (required)
Annexes
 Normative annexes give provisions additional to
those in the body of the document
 Informative annexes give additional information
intended to assist the understanding or use of the
document
 Informative annexes may contain optional
requirements
 An annex’s normative/informative status must be
made clear by the way in which it is referred to in
the text
Hanging Paragraphs
Incorrect Correct
5 Designation 5 Designation
The quick brown fox jumps over the 5.1 General

lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the
5.1 Xxxxxxxxxxx lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the 5.2 Xxxxxxxxxxx

lazy dog.
5.2 Xxxxxxxxxxx lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the 5.3 Xxxxxxxxxxx

lazy dog.
lazy dog.
Addenda & Errata
 Errata
– Corrects editorial mistakes or omissions
– Cannot contain new material or revisions that changes
the intent of the standard
– Does not require a ballot
 Addenda
– Contains changes that either adds new material or
changes the intent of the standard
– May contain editorial changes as well
– Requires a ballot
Questions??

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API Standards Format

 Prescriptive vs. performance-based standards

 API document designations

– Facilitates standards development process if

– Ease of use (uniform structure, style, and terminology

 The document type does NOT determine

 Performance-based standard – expresses

 Prescriptive requirements should be

 Specify assumptions about the service to be

 Establish objectives necessary to meet

 Establish performance criteria

 Establish verification criteria

 Bulletins and Technical Reports

 Specifications - Documents that are written in

 Standards - Documents that combine elements

 Recommended Practices - Documents that

 Bulletins & Technical Reports - Documents that

 shall – indicates that a provision is mandatory

 should – indicates that a provision is not

 may – signifies permission and indicates a

 can – used for statements of possibility or

 Do NOT use “must” as alternative for “has to” or

 Words like “very,” “all,” “every,” “never,”

 Dated vs. undated references to other standards

 Definitions contain requirements or are too lengthy

 Defined terms or abbreviations are not used in the

 Annexes are in the wrong order

 Indicates the limits of applicability of the

 The scope should be brief so that it can be used

 Dated references are references to a specific

 References to specific sections or subsections,

 Cannot contain requirements

 Should be a brief, self-contained description of

 Any term that is not self-explanatory or

 Must appear in the order in which they are cited

 Their presence is optional

 Annexes must be identified as “informative”

The quick brown fox jumps over the 5.1 General

The quick brown fox jumps over the 5.2 Xxxxxxxxxxx

The quick brown fox jumps over the 5.3 Xxxxxxxxxxx

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