Hot Spot API 6Y Fugitive Emissions Testing Published

What is it?

API have published the new standard API 6Y Fugitive Emissions Testing on Pipeline and Wellhead Equipment. It specifies the requirements for fugitive emissions testing of valves and chokes intended for natural gas service at pressures up to 20,000 psi.

This upstream oil and gas industry standard covers the fugitive emissions type testing of valves and chokes including test equipment, test conditions, test fluids, endurance classes and leakage rates measured using gas analysers or mass spectrometers. Despite more than a year passing since the public review and ballot stage was concluded, the published standard has not changed significantly from the ballot draft.

Why is it Important?

The document is the first fugitive emission qualification test standard to allow the use of argon as an alternative to helium or methane as a test gas for type or production testing. It specifies maximum leakage rates for three tightness classes with equivalent leakage rates across the three test gases.

This standard is important as it may be specified by the upstream oil and gas industry as an alternative to ISO 15848 part 1 or 2, potentially requiring qualification testing to be conducted by valve manufacturers. The draft standard also covers scaling rules to qualify untested valves and allows the use of a test fixture in place of a valve to extend qualifications to alternative stem and static seal materials.

Supersedes

This is the first edition of the standard.

Continuous Improvement - Did we miss anything?

Hot Spots are intended to alert members and provide a brief overview of new standards, activities or procedures that are being introduced in the industry. If there is key information missing that would be helpful, please let us know so that we can improve our future service.

Please Note: This Hotspot is for information purposes, and we invite comments from BVAA members only. Please also note that at time of publication ballots may be closed. For more information, please contact the Secretariat.

BVAA Members: Did you know we have a hotspot tab on the BVAA website? Head over to www.bvaa.org.uk/login-here.asp and log into the member only area. You then need to select ‘Hotspots’ for the latest. For information on how to access the member only area of the website please contact jane@bvaa.org.uk. 

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