American Petroleum Institute

The American Petroleum Institute, known as API, is the largest trade association for the oil and natural gas industry in the United States, founded in 1919 and headquartered in Washington. The organization represents over six hundred corporate members spanning all segments of the petroleum industry including oil and gas exploration and production companies, petroleum refiners, pipeline operators, petroleum product distributors, and oilfield service and equipment suppliers. API is best known for its standards development program, having published over seven hundred consensus engineering standards covering drilling equipment, refinery operations, pipeline construction, storage tank design, and safety management systems that are referenced in federal and state regulations and adopted internationally. The API Monogram Program certifies manufacturers whose equipment and materials comply with API specifications, providing quality assurance for oilfield equipment purchases worldwide. Policy advocacy focuses on energy legislation, federal leasing policy for oil and gas development on public lands and offshore areas, pipeline permitting, renewable fuel standard implementation, and international energy trade policy. The association publishes weekly statistical bulletins on American petroleum supplies, refinery utilization rates, and product demand that serve as benchmark data points for global energy markets.