API 6 AV 1 and API 6 A

API 6 AV 1 and API 6 A Comparison Task Group Report Austin Freeman – Halliburton, Chair David Comeaux – GE, Roy Benefield – FMC, & John Yonker – CEC, members February 9, 2010 API SC 6 Winter Meeting Houston, TX

Background v Reference Documents: – API 6 AV 1 – Specification for Verification Test of Wellhead Surface Safety Valves and Underwater Safety Valves for Offshore Service (1 st edition, Feb. 1996) – API 6 A - Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment (19 th edition, July 2004) – ISO 10423 - Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment (4 th edition, December 2009)

Background v API Spec 6 A (19 th edition) included Annex I giving Performance Verification Procedures for SSV and USVs; 6 AV 1 is a normative reference in 6 A v During adopt-back, Regional Annex O added definition of test agency and requirements to test a valve at a test agency (10. 20. 4. 3 c)) v ISO 10423 (4 th edition) issued Dec. 2009 has both of the above two requirements and 6 AV 1 is a normative reference in it. v API Specs 6 A and 6 AV 1 are both in 30 CFR 250. 806. “All SSVs and USVs must meet the technical specifications of API Spec 6 A and 6 AV 1” v API 6 AV 1 is currently in the monogram program and has 1 licensee

Taskgroup Charge v Investigate if all the requirements of 6 AV 1 have been faithfully incorporated into ISO 10423 and what should be done with 6 AV 1 (withdraw, amend, leave alone)

Major Findings v Annex I is normatively referenced in clauses 4. 1, 10. 20. 1, and 10. 20. 4. 3 of the current (19 th) edition and ISO 10423 (4 th edition). – "Valves operating as safety valves shall be of the PR 2 performance level and meet the requirements of Annex I. " – "Safety valves shall meet the performance requirements specified in Annex I and those shown in Table 82. " – "To verify a specific PR 2 standard service valve for a SSV/USV design, the manufacturer shall satisfy the class I or class II test in accordance with Annex I. "

Major Findings v The language in Annex I appears to point to the eventual withdrawal of 6 AV 1. – v "The verification testing requirements in this annex are not represented as duplicating actual well conditions. Verification tests that have been completed in accordance with verification testing requirements of API Spec 14 D or API Spec 6 AV 1, during their validity, will satisfy the requirements of this annex. “ The monogram Annex N in 6 A refers one to 6 AV 1 for the requirements for the test agency. The definition of "test agency" in Annex O (and in 10423) is stated as: – "independent third party that provides a test facility and administers a testing programme that meets the class II SSV/USV valve-validation testing requirements of Annex I of this International Standard and API Spec 6 AV 1" – NOTE: The requirements of this definition (independent, and third party) both violate CEN guidelines on standards content.

Differences between 6 A and 6 AV 1 v v 6 AV 1 uses PR 1 and PR 2 to refer to the two classes of service. API 6 A and ISO 10423 use Class I and Class II. 6 AV 1 describes the class 1 or PR 1 test only in once place (clause 4. 2) where it says the PR 1 test can be run with water or similar fluids. Annex I describes the Class I test in detail in clause I. 3. The requirement to do a test per Annex I is stated in 10. 20. 4. 3 c) where it says to submit a valve to a test agency but in Annex I. 4. 1 it says the manufacturer shall test the valve. The test agency requirements in Clause 4. 4 of 6 AV 1 are not present in Annex I. However, in the definition of "test agency" in 3. 119, compliance to 6 AV 1 is required which puts them back in. Therefore, if we want ISO 10423 or 6 A to stand alone and contain all the requirements for 6 AV 1 testing, we would have to put these in Annex I or some other annex.

Differences between 6 A and 6 AV 1 v ISO 10423 Clause I. 1. 4 on scaling of one valve test results to other sizes and pressure ratings only applies to Class I tests. The similar clause in 6 AV 1 (4. 5. 1) allows scaling for PR 2 (Class II) test results. (see next slide) v The use of the application forms and documentation of the test differs from 6 AV 1 to 10423. v The flow diagram in 6 AV 1 Figure 1 is missing from Annex I. v The minimum tank size of 5 bbl (0. 8 m 3) was changed to 1 m 3 (6. 25 bbl). v The measurements of viscosity and sand content were changed from API standards to ISO standards (ISO 10414 -1). v API 6 AV 1 includes licensing criteria and requirements for the test agency. There is nothing in ISO 10423 about this.

Path Forward Assuming we want to remove 6 AV 1 from publication: v Include all 6 AV 1 content in ISO 10423 by amendment. We need to do an amendment anyway to fix the Class II scaling issue. We would also fix the definition of test agency and remove 6 AV 1 from the normative specification list. v Reword the requirements for test agency to remove "independent third party" to fix the CEN issue. v Notify SWRI that 6 AV 1 is to be withdrawn. v Notify MMS that 6 AV 1 is to be withdrawn. v Withdraw document.

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