American Petroleum Institute

American Petroleum Institute

American Petroleum Institute logo
Headquarters	Washington, DC
Membership	650 companies in petroleum industry
President and CEO	Jack Gerard
Website	api.org

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is the largest U.S. trade association for the oil and natural gas industry. It claims to represent about 650 corporations involved in production, refinement, distribution, and many other aspects of the petroleum industry.

The association describes its mission as to influence public policy in support of a strong, viable U.S. oil and natural gas industry. Its chief functions on behalf of the industry include advocacy, negotiation and lobbying with governmental, legal, and regulatory agencies; research into economic, toxicological, and environmental effects; establishment and certification of industry standards; and education outreach. API both funds and conducts research related to many aspects of the petroleum industry. The current CEO and president is Jack Gerard.

API Standards Committees are made up of subcommittees and task groups that works and maintain these standards. the list of Committee and Subcommittee is:

API also defines the industry standard for the energy conservation of motor oil. API SN is the latest specification to which motor oils intended for spark-ignited engines should adhere since 2010. It supersedes API SM.

API also defines and drafts standards for measurement for manufactured products such as:

API RP 500 and RP 505 classify the locations for electrical equipment in hazardous areas.

API has entered petroleum industry nomenclature in a number of areas:

In addition to training industry workers and conducting seminars, workshops, and conferences on public policy, API develops and distributes materials and curricula for schoolchildren and educators. The association also maintains a website, Classroom Energy.

API spent more than $3 million annually during the period 2005 to 2009 on lobbying; $3.6 million in 2009. As of 2009, according to API’s quarterly “Lobbying Report” submitted to the U.S. Senate, the organization had 16 lobbyists lobbying Congress. According to an investigation conducted by the International Business Times, API lobbied the Department of State for all of 2009 on "legislative efforts concerning oil sands" and "Canadian Oil Sands."