API’s Repair and Remanufacture Program Strengthens Equipment Integrity

After years of intensive drilling in the North Sea, an operator’s blowout preventer (BOP) shows signs of seal degradation, a failure that could compromise well control. To ensure continued reliability, the operator sends it to a company for repair, expecting it to be restored to full functionality before returning to service.

It’s a common undertaking for the operator. Months earlier off the coast of Louisiana at another project site, another BOP needed repair and was serviced at a different facility. As a result, despite both pieces of equipment undergoing remanufacture, the repairs were not performed to a common standard. Each repair company followed its own internal protocols, leaving the operator with an open question: How could they be certain that both repairs delivered the same level of quality, safety and performance?

For operators, whether managing equipment across multiple regions or working with different repair companies over time, consistent repair and maintenance is critical to ensuring safe operations. Without a recognized auditable framework, differences in repair protocols — inspection methods, welding standards and pressure testing, for instance — could yield substantially different results, increasing the risk of premature failures.

At the same time, for repair companies, a standardized certification process creates an industry-recognized licensing structure, allowing companies with the highest standards to distinguish themselves from competitors with less rigorous processes. A clear formal credential allows companies to demonstrate to customers that its work meets the highest standards of safety and reliability.

A Structured Approach to Repair and Remanufacture

The new API Repair and Remanufacture Program changes this dynamic. By establishing a formal licensing framework for organizations performing these services, the program ensures that repaired equipment —regardless of where the work is done and by whom —meets the same rigorous safety and performance benchmarks. Operators now are assured that all API-licensed repair facilities follow a uniform, auditable process, and repair organizations can earn a certification that sets them apart in the market.

To participate, repair companies must meet two core requirements:

• Demonstrate compliance with an applicable API standard

• Implement a quality management system that aligns with API Specification Q1, Quality Management System Requirements for Organizations Providing Products for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry (now in its 10^th edition)

Once licensed, repair facilities can apply the API Repair and Remanufacture Mark to the repaired equipment, a visible credential that signifies compliance with API’s rigorous quality and safety standards. To maintain certification, these facilities undergo annual audits that verify continued adherence to API’s requirements, ensuring that repair quality remains consistent over time.

The program delivers benefits for both operators and repair organizations. For operators, it provides a clear and trusted pathway for verifying the integrity of repaired equipment. Operators merely select API-licensed organizations that have demonstrated their capability to make repairs in accordance with API’s globally recognized standards.

And for repair organizations, API licensing offers a distinct competitive advantage. Achieving API certification differentiates them from non-certified competitors, assuring customers that licensed organizations’ work meets third-party industry-recognized and accredited standards.

The First Step in Standardizing Repair and Remanufacture

The first standard incorporated under the initiative is API 16AR (2nd edition), Repair and Remanufacture of Drill-Through Equipment. It provides a structured, traceable process for repairing and remanufacturing drill-through equipment, covering key processes such as inspection, testing, welding and marking of critical drilling components. These requirements ensure that all repaired equipment and components return to service in safe, reliable working conditions, reducing the risk of failure.

As API expands its Repair and Remanufacture Program, it will incorporate additional standards, extending standardized repair and remanufacture protocols to a wider range of critical oil and natural gas equipment.

A New Standard for the Industry

The API Repair and Remanufacture Program is a major step in an industry where safety is paramount. For operators, this means greater predictability and control over equipment repairs, ensuring that components covered under the program—regardless of where they are serviced—meet the same uncompromising safety and performance standards.

For repair organizations, API certification will increasingly become a key differentiator, as operators seek out trusted partners that can deliver verified, high-quality repairs.

As the program expands, it will help shape the future of oil and natural gas equipment maintenance, enhancing safety, reliability and sustainability across the industry.