scope:

The American Petroleum Institute inspection code covers the maintenance inspection, repair, alteration, and rerating procedures for pressure vessels used by petroleum and chemical process industries. It is the intent of this code to restrict its application to the organizations which maintain or have access to an Authorized Inspection Agency as defined in 1.2.5. Except as provided in 1.1.2, the use of this code is restricted to organizations which maintain or have access to engineering and inspection personnel or organizations technically qualified to maintain, inspect, repair, alter, and/or rerate pressure vessels. Inspection personnel are to be certified as provided in this code. Whereas other codes (for example, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Sections VI, VII, and XI, and the National Board Inspection Code) exist which cover specific industries and general applications, this code has been developed by and for the specific requirements of the industries described in this scope.

This code applies to vessels constructed in accordance with any of the several editions of the former API/ASME Code for Unfired Pressure Vessels for Petroleum Liquids and Gases, the several editions of Section VIII of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, to other recognized pressure vessel codes, to nonstandard vessels, and to other vessels constructed noncode or approved as jurisdictional special. This inspection code is only applicable to vessels after they have been placed in service, including items further described in 1.1.2, that are inspected by an Authorized Inspection Agency and/or repaired by a Repair Organization as defined in this inspection code. Adoption of this inspection code does not permit its use in conflict with any prevailing regulatory requirements.