API 6A

Basics

Basic Information Found in 6A

Types of equipment
Product Specification Levels (PSL)
Performance Requirements
Pressure Ratings
Temperature Ratings
Material Class Ratings
Standard and Non-Standard Materials

Types of equipment
A) Wellhead equipment:
casing head housings
casing head spools
tubing head spools
cross-over spools
multi-stage head housings and spools
B) Connectors and fittings:
cross-over connectors
tubing head adapters
top connectors
tees and crosses
fluid-sampling devices
adapter and spacer spools

Types of equipment
C) Casing and tubing hangers:
mandrel hangers
slip hangers
D)

Valves and chokes

single valves
multiple valves
actuated valves
valves prepared for actuators
check valves
chokes
surface and underwater safety valves and actuators
back-pressure valves

Types of equipment
E) Loose connectors [flanged, threaded, other end connectors (OEC), and welded]:
weld neck connectors
blind connectors
threaded connectors
adapter and spacer connectors
bullplugs
valve-removal plugs
F) Other equipment:
actuators
hubs
pressure boundary penetrations
ring gaskets
running and testing tools
wear bushings

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

There are 5 product specification levels.

PSL-1
PSL-2
PSL-3
PSL-3G
PSL-4

Selection of PSL is based on potential hazards,

and the effect of those hazards on people, the
environment, and resources.
The more critical the application, the higher the
PSL Level

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

PSL 1 is selected when the following
conditions exist:
Working pressure is less than or equal to
5000 psi
Product produced is not gas

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

PSL 2 is selected when the following
conditions exist:
Working Pressure is greater than 5000 psi for
Petroleum Well in a low H2S environment
Working Pressure is less than or equal to
5000 psi for Petroleum Well in a high H2S
environment
Working Pressure is less than or equal to
5000 psi for Gas well

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

PSL 3 is selected when the following conditions
exist:
Working Pressure is greater than 5000 psi for
Petroleum Wells in a high H2S environment
Working Pressure is greater than 5000 psi for
Gas Wells in a low H2S environment
Working Pressure is greater than 15000 psi for
Petroleum Wells in a low H2S environment

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

PSL 3G is selected when the following
conditions exist:
Working Pressure is greater than 5000 psi for
Gas Wells for in a high H2S environment
Working Pressure is greater than 15000 psi for
in a high H2S environment
Working Pressure is greater than 15000 psi for
Gas Wells in a low H2S environment

Product Specification Levels (PSL)

PSL 4 is selected when the intended
application exceeds the service conditions
usually identified within the scope of API
6A
PSL 4 requirement is normally used only
for primary equipment.

Performance Requirements
There are two performance requirement levels:
PR1 and PR2.
Performance requirements are a function of part
design
Performance Requirements are determined by
pressure, temperature ranges, load capability,
cycles, and operating force or torque.
Performance verification procedures are found
in Annex F of API 6A

Performance Requirements
Performance Requirements are specified
for each equipment type in Clause 10 of
API 6A
Performance Requirements for specific
RasGas equipment is specified in Exhibit
B of the Contract

Pressure Ratings
API 6A equipment is designed to operate at only
the following maximum rated working pressures:
psi
MPa
2 000
13,8
3 000
20,7
5 000
34,5
10 000
69,0
15 000
103,5
20 000
138,0

Temperature Ratings
Equipment is designed to operate in one or
more of the specified temperature ratings
Minimum temperature is the lowest ambient
temperature to which the equipment may be
subjected.
Maximum temperature is the highest
temperature of the fluid that may directly contact
the equipment.
API 6A designated temperature ratings are
located in Table 2

Temperature Ratings - Table 2

Temperature Operating
Range Classification
K
L
N
P
R
S
T
U
V

C
F
min. max.
min. max.
-60
82
-75
180
-46
82
-50
180
-46
60
-50
140
-29
82
-20
180
Room temperature Room temperature
-18
60
0
140
-18
82
0
180
-18
121
0
250
2
121
35
250

Material Class Ratings

API 6A provides material classes for increasing levels of
severity of service conditions and relative corrosivity of
retained fluids
Material selection is partially determine based on various
environmental factors and production variables

temperature;
b) H2S level;
c) pH;
d) chloride ion concentration;
e) sand production;
f) water production and composition;
g) types and relative amounts of produced hydrocarbons.

Material Class Ratings

Standard and Non-Standard

Materials
All bodies, bonnets, end and outlet connections
shall be fabricated from standard or nonstandard materials as specified in Table 4 of API
6A
There are 5 material sets defined by API 6A

36K
45K
60K
75K
NS (Non-Standard)

Standard and Non-Standard

Materials

Standard and Non-Standard

Materials
Standard materials shall meet the
applicable properties shown in Table 5.

Standard and Non-Standard

Materials
Non-standard material shall conform to the
manufacturers written specification.
The specification shall include minimum requirements
applicable for the specific alloy.

tensile strength,
yield strength,
elongation,
reduction of area,
toughness
hardness

All non-standard materials shall exceed a 75K minimum

yield strength and meet a minimum of 15 % elongation
and 20 % reduction of area.