INDIA

REGULATORY OVERVIEW AND STANDARDS FRAMEWORK

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is the primary regulator for the exploration and extraction of oil and
gas, while the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board regulates refining, processing, storage, transportation,
distribution, marketing, and sale. Both agencies utilize and make reference to complying with technical standards in
their rules and regulations. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change assesses environmental impacts
of oil and gas projects and also play a role in policymaking for the oil and gas sector.

Standards for India’s oil and gas sector are issued by the Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) within the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas. India’s national standards development organization, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
within the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, has also developed standards for the oil and gas sector and represents India
within the ISO and other international bodies.

OISD has issued over 120 standards (SDN), recommended practices (RP), and guidelines (GDN) related to oil and gas,
while BIS has issued over 140 standards (IS) relevant to the sector. These standards pertain to all aspects of oil and
gas activity, including design and layout of equipment and facilities, operating practices, environmental protection, and
worker safety and fire protection. Most are voluntary and recommended. Standards are regularly reviewed and revised
to maintain harmony with global standards.

21 standards issued by OISD are cited directly by Indian laws and regulations, namely the Petroleum Rules (2002), Gas
Cylinder Rules (2016), Static and Mobile Pressure Vessels (Unfired) Rules (2016), and Oil Mines Regulation (2017). These
include:

1. OISD-STD-105, Work Permit System

2. OISD-STD-114, Safe Handling of Hazardous Chemicals
3. OISD-STD-116, Fire Protection Facilities for Petroleum Refineries and Oil/Gas Processing Plants
4. OISD-STD-117, Fire Protection Facilities for Petroleum Depots, Terminals, Pipeline Installations & Lube Oil Installations
5. OISD-STD-118, Layouts for Oil & Gas Installations
6. OISD-STD-128, Inspection of Unfired Pressure Vessels
7. OISD-STD-129, Inspection of Storage Tanks
8. OISD-STD-141, Design & Construction Requirements for Cross Country Hydrocarbon Pipelines
9. OISD-STD-156, Fire Protection Facilities for Ports Handling Hydrocarbons
10. OISD-STD-144, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Installations
11. OISD-STD-169, OISD Guidelines on Small LPG Bottling Plants (Design and Fire Protection Facilities)
12. OISD-STD-150, Design and Safety Requirements for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Mounded Storage Facility
13. OISD-STD-187, Care and Use of Wire Rope
14. OISD-STD-189, Standard On Fire Fighting Equipment For Drilling Rigs, Work over Rigs and Production Installations
15. OISD-STD-191, Oil Field Explosive Safety
16. OISD-STD-226, Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines and City Gas Distribution Networks
17. OISD-RP-108, Recommended Practices on Oil Storage and Handling
18. OISD-RP-149, Design Aspects for Safety in Electrical Systems
19. OISD-RP-174, Well Control
20. OISD-GDN-178, Guidelines on Management of Change
21. OISD-GDN-182, Safe Practices for Workover and Well Stimulation Operations

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 USES AND REFERENCES TO API AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
API signed an MOU with OISD in March 2014 to provide support in the development of standards. OISD has widely
adopted API standards and broadly accepts and/or requires adherence with them from oil and gas sector
participants. In total, 34 API standards are referenced in the mandatory OISD standards and in guidance from the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The below are the 39 API standards referenced in the mandatory OISD standards:

OISD Standard API Standard Referenced

OISD-STD-105, Work Permit System API 2016, Guidelines and Procedures for Entering and
Cleaning Petroleum Storage Tanks

API 2015, Requirements for Safe Entry and Cleaning of

Petroleum Storage Tanks

API Publication 2009, Safe Welding, Cutting, and Other

Hot Work Practices in Refineries, Gas Plants, and
Petrochemical Plants

OISD-STD-116, Fire Protection Facilities for Petroleum API RP 2001, Fire Protection in Refineries
Refineries and Oil/Gas Processing Plants

OISD-STD-117, Fire Protection Facilities for Petroleum API SPEC 15LR, Low Pressure Fiberglass Line Pipe
Depots, Terminals, Pipeline Installations & Lube Oil
Installations API SPEC 15HR, High-pressure Fiberglass Line Pipe

OISD-STD-118, Layouts for Oil & Gas Installations API Standard 2610: Design, Construction, Operation,
Maintenance and Inspection of Terminal and Tank
Facilities

API Recommended Practices 2001, Fire Protection in

Refineries

OISD-STD-141, Design & Construction Requirements for API SPEC 5L, Line Pipe
Cross Country Hydrocarbon Pipelines
API RP 1102, Steel Pipelines Crossing Railroads and
Highways

OISD-STD-156, Fire Protection Facilities for Ports API RP 2001, Fire Protection in Refineries
Handling Hydrocarbons

OISD-STD-119, Selection, Operation and Maintenance of API 610, Centrifugal Pumps for General Refinery Services
Pumps
API 674, Positive Displacement Pump- Reciprocating

OISD-STD-144, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Installations API 2510, Design and Construction of LP Gas Installations

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 OISD Standard API Standard Referenced
OISD-STD-226, Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines and API 15LR, Low Pressure Fiberglass Line Pipe and Fittings
City Gas Distribution Networks
API 15HR, High-pressure Fiberglass Line Pipe

API 617, Axial and Centrifugal Compressors and

Expander-compressors

API 618, Reciprocating Compressors for Petroleum,

Chemical, and Gas Industry Services

API 11P, Packaged Reciprocating Compressors for Oil and

Gas Production Services

API 1102, Steel Pipelines Crossing Railroads and

Highways

API 1104, Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities

API 1107, Pipeline Maintenance Welding Practices

API 1109, Line Markers and Signage for Hazardous Liquid

Pipelines and Facilities

API 1110, Pressure Testing of Steel Pipelines for the

Transportation of Gas, Petroleum Gas, Hazardous Liquids,
Highly Volatile Liquids, or Carbon Dioxide

API 500C, Classification of Locations for Electrical

Installations at Pipeline Transportation Facilities

API 5L, Line Pipe

API 6D, Pipeline Valves

OISD-RP-108, Recommended Practices on Oil Storage and API 620, Design and Construction of Large, Welded, Low-
Handling Pressure Storage Tanks

API 650, Welded Tanks for Oil Storage

OISD-RP-174, Well Control API RP 16E, Design of Control Systems for Drilling Well
Control Equipment

API RP 53, Blowout Prevention Equipment Systems for

Drilling Wells

API RP 59, Well Control Operations

API RP 64, Diverter Systems Equipment and Operations

API SPEC 16C, Choke and Kill Equipment

API SPEC 16D, Control Systems for Drilling Well Control

API SPEC 16R, Specification for Marine Drilling Riser

Couplings

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 OISD Standard API Standard Referenced
OISD-RP-GDN-182, Guidelines on Management of Change API 4G, Operation, Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair of
Drilling and Well Servicing Structures

API 5C1, Care and Use of Casing and Tubing

Apart from the specific OISD standards, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has also issued “Good International
Petroleum Industry Practices” (GIPIP) to provide guidelines for exploration and production of oil and gas. While the
guidelines do not supersede applicable laws and regulations and are not legally binding, they are accepted as a
reference guide for industry practices.

The GIPIP recommends meeting or exceeding 20 API standards and specifications for a broad swath of exploration and
production activities. These include:

Relevant Field/Practice API Standard Referenced

Well drilling practices API RP 53, Recommended Practices for Blowout Prevention Equipment Systems for Drilling
and equipment Wells

API RP 90, Recommended Practices for Blowout Prevention Equipment Systems for Drilling
Wells

API RP 10B, Recommended Practice for Testing Well Cements

API Bulletin D10, Procedure for Selecting Rotary Drilling Equipment

API RP 04G, Drilling and Well Servicing Structures

API RP 13B, Recommended Practice for Field Testing Water-based Drilling Fluids

API RP 54, Occupational Safety and Health for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing
Operations

API SPEC 16D, Control Systems for Drilling Well

API Bulletin D12A, API Well Number and Standard State and County Numeric Codes
Including Offshore Waters

Pressure volume API RP 44, Sampling Petroleum Reservoir Fluids

temperature (PVT)
studies API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (MPMS)

Gas Flaring API RP 55, Recommended Practice for Oil and Gas Producing and Gas Processing Plant
Operations Involving Hydrogen Sulfide

Core studies and API RP 40, Recommended Practices for Core Analysis
analysis

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 Safety Management API RP 14C, Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation, and Testing of Basic
and Incident Response Surface Safety Systems for Offshore Production Platforms

API Technical Report 1145, Guidelines for Offshore Oil Spill Response Plans

API RP 500, Recommended Practice for Classification of Locations for Electrical

Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as Class I, Division 1, and Division 2

API RP 505, Recommended Practice for Classification of Locations for Electrical

Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as Class I, Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2

API RP 74, Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Onshore Oil and Gas
Production Operation

API RP 51R, Environmental Protection for Onshore Oil and Gas Production Operations and
Leases

API RP 67, Oilfield Explosives Safety

OISD has also issued a “Standard Operating Procedure for Integrity Assessment of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Pipelines,” which refers to API RP 1160, Managing System Integrity for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines.

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