API Spec Q1 Definition

API Spec Q1 is a company level certification based on the standard developed and published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) titled "Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for Manufacturing Organizations for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry". This certification is intended for companies who manufacture equipment or components of equipment used in oil and natural gas production. Certifications are issued exclusively by API. Companies must submit their quality manual for approval and host an on-site audit conducted by an API official. Companies must have a quality system in place at least four months prior to submitting an application. The quality manual must implement each review and risk-mitigation item outlined in the standard, and the full system must be audited every year to ensure continued conformance to the requirements.