Engineering Procedure

SAEP-119 15 October 2008

Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Materials System Specifications
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Table of Contents

1 Scope......................................................................2
2 Applicable Documents...........................................2
3 Instructions.............................................................2
4 Responsibilities.......................................................6

Attachment I - Exception Style Saudi Aramco Materials

System Specification..............................................8
Attachment II - Narrative Style Saudi Aramco
Materials System Specification............................12

Previous Issue: 30 April 2005 Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013

Revised paragraphs are indicated in the right margin Page 1 of 12
Primary contact: Ghulam, Ziad Mohammad Jamil on 966-3-8745670

Copyright©Saudi Aramco 2008. All rights reserved.

Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

1 Scope

This procedure establishes instructions for the development and use of approved
procurement documents called Saudi Aramco Materials System Specifications
(SAMSSs). This procedure also assigns responsibilities for those associated with these
documents.

2 Applicable Documents

The requirements contained in the following documents and forms apply, to the extent
specified in this procedure.

 Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedures

SAEP-103 Metric Units of Weights and Measures
SAEP-125 Preparation of Saudi Aramco Engineering
Standards
SAEP-301 Instructions for Establishing and Maintaining
Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering
Requirements
SAEP-302 Instructions for Obtaining a Waiver of a
Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering
Requirement

 Saudi Aramco Engineering Standard

SAES-A-112 Meteorological and Seismic Design Data

 Saudi Aramco Materials System Specification

31-SAMSS-001 Axial and Centrifugal Compressors and
Expander-Compressors

 Saudi Aramco Materials Instructions Manual

CU 11.1 Cataloging

 Saudi Aramco Standard Packing Manual

3 Instructions

3.1 Definition and Purpose

SAMSSs are material or equipment specifications, used for procurement, that

have been approved by Saudi Aramco Management. They establish minimum

Page 2 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

engineering, design, fabrication, and testing requirements for procured material

or equipment. They are written to cover material or equipment that are procured
on a repetitive basis, and where the complexity or unique characteristics require
an extensive write-up to clearly state all requirements. Attach entire SAMSS
documents to purchase requisitions, requests for quotation or purchase orders.
Users should not extract portions of SAMSS documents nor write new
specifications to procure material or equipment already included within the
Scope of approved SAMSSs.

The SAMSS document, together with a purchase requisition and, in some cases,
one or more of the following, form an integral package that can be used to
procure material or equipment:
- data sheet(s), drawing(s), and specification sheet(s)
- Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards (SAESs) (if so stated in the scope)
- additional project-specific design requirements, not covered by the SAMSS

3.2 Use of Existing Industry Standards

If an industry standard meets all the Company's requirements with no

modification, specify it in the appropriate SAES and use it to define the technical
purchasing requirements. In this case, do not create and maintain a SAMSS.

3.3 Format

Base the structure of all SAMSS documents on one of two styles: Exception or
Narrative.

3.3.1 Exception-style SAMSSs define requirements as additions,

modifications or deletions to the requirements in an industry standard,
using the industry standard's chapter/sections/paragraph numbering
system. Use this style when an industry standard already defines the
majority of Saudi Aramco's requirements. This is the preferred style
because it reduces the number of requirements that must be generated
and maintained. It also offers the benefit of alerting users to the
Company's special requirements. See Attachment I for details of this
style. Avoid repeating unchanged parts of the industry standard in the
SAMSS.

3.3.2 Narrative-style SAMSSs are used when the Standards Committee

Chairman determines that an appropriate industry standard does not
exist. He may supplement the content of one, or more, industry
standards, but the requirements are not written as exceptions. Tailor the

Page 3 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

document structure of this style to meet the specific needs of the subject.
See Attachment II for additional details associated with this style.

3.4 Contents

3.4.1 Write using simple, easy-to-understand language. Active sentences are

preferred because they are usually shorter and more explicit than passive
sentences. Use the verb "shall" to indicate mandatory requirements.

Establish the wording of the title as carefully as possible. It shall

indicate, concisely and without ambiguity, the subject matter of the
specification in such a way as to distinguish it from that of others,
without going into unnecessary detail. Any necessary additional
particulars shall be given in the Scope.

Every specification shall begin with a Scope section. Here, define

without ambiguity, the subject of the specification and the aspect(s) it
covers. The Scope shall not contain requirements.

Include all requirements in the SAMSS needed by the supplier to

manufacture and test the material or equipment that Saudi Aramco wants
to procure. SAMSSs may not make reference to individual paragraphs in
a SAES. SAMSSs may reference a complete Saudi Aramco Engineering
Standard (SAES) only if the SAES specifically includes a statement that
the document is approved to be attached to purchase orders. See
SAEP-125, for additional details on the contents and use of SAES.
Make reference to the content and details of Standard Drawings to the
extent that they apply to the material or equipment. To assist the User to
correctly use the SAMSS, consider development of companion data
sheets that will guide him in collecting all requirements.

Where specific requirements or conditions need to be repeated in a

number of SAMSSs, develop and locate them in separate mandatory
documents such as another SAMSS, a SAES, or Standard Drawing. (For
example, see SAES-A-112 “Meteorological and Seismic Design Data”).
Use appropriate references to the separate documents in the SAMSS.

Include definitions of technical terms used within the SAMSS. Do not

include nontechnical provisions already covered in Saudi Aramco's
standard terms and conditions for contracting and purchasing, such as
risk of loss, liability for failure or damages, warranties, rights to inspect,
and other such legal matters. Check with the Law or Purchasing
Departments if in doubt.

Page 4 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

SAMSSs will normally include inspection and testing requirements. Use

“175-series” forms to collect all inspection and testing requirements
from the SAMSSs, referenced industry documents, and other sources
that apply. Develop “7900-series” forms to identify other nonmaterial
requirements that are an integral part of orders, and support the procured
material or equipment. Develop “8314-series” or “8444-series” forms to
identify packing specification requirements. See the Saudi Aramco
Standard Packing Manual for additional information.

Where there is a need to review or approve certain technical items

covered by the SAMSS (alternate designs, repairs, welder qualifications,
test procedures, etc.) by someone in Saudi Aramco at Manager level, or
below, indicate this responsibility by designating a specific position
(Standard Committee Chairman, Unit Supervisor, Division Coordinator,
etc.). Do not use generic titles such as "the Saudi Aramco Engineer"
unless this term is clearly defined within the body of the document. See
Attachment I for example.

3.4.2 Give preference to referencing SAMSSs to the “latest edition” of an

industry standard. However, the Standards Committee Chairman may
determine that reference to a specific edition of the industry standard,
will best satisfy the needs of the Company.

3.4.3 Use the International System (SI) of Units in SAMSSs, following the
instructions of SAEP-103, Metric Units of Weights and Measures.

3.4.4 Where additional information or explanation is needed to clarify the

intent of a requirement or where there is a reasonable chance of
misinterpreting or misapplying the requirement, include a commentary
note. Make the note brief, limiting it to only the essential items. To
distinguish it from the SAMSS requirements, label the note
“COMMENTARY” and use italics. See Attachment I for example.

3.5 Deviations

3.5.1 Deviations proposed by the supplier that result in material or equipment

meeting less than the minimum requirements require waiver approval in
accordance with SAEP-302 before issuance of a Purchase Order. For
deviations identified after a Purchase Order is issued, the waiver
approval is required prior to material or equipment shipment.

3.5.2 The Responsible Standardization Agency (RSA) Representative (as

defined in CU 11.1, Cataloging), may give written approval for
substitution of material or equipment with equivalent characteristics or
performance, that conform to standards other than those specified.

Page 5 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

Handle appeals to an RSA Representative substitution rejection by

means of the waiver process. See SAEP-302 for details.

3.6 Approval

Use the approval process outlined in SAEP-301 “Instructions for Establishing

and Maintaining Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering Requirements” to
develop new SAMSSs and revise existing SAMSSs. To keep SAMSSs current
and up-to-date, conduct a major review and revision of every SAMSS at least
every five (5) years, or other appropriate interval established for the document.

3.7 Cancellation of SAMSS

Cancel existing SAMSSs by obtaining the signature of the Approval Authority.

4 Responsibilities

4.1 Standards Committee Chairman (SCC)

The SCC is responsible for doing the following:

- Determining the need for SAMSSs, and if required, developing them,
making decisions about their style and content.
- Verifying the cost-effectiveness and technical adequacy of the minimum
technical and non-material requirements contained in the SAMSSs.
- Conducting a major review of every SAMSS at least once every five years
and making the necessary revisions.
- Forwarding draft documents to the Standards Coordinator to either route for
BOE review or for the completion of approval, publication, and distribution
processes per SAEP-301 paragraph 4.7(g).
- Working with the Inspection Department to develop appropriate “175-
series” Inspection Requirements forms, to support the material or equipment
covered by the SAMSSs.
- Working with the Materials Traffic Department to develop new packing
specifications where existing ones do not provide adequate protection.
- Coordinating the SAMSSs requirements with the RSA Representative.

4.2 Standards Coordinator (SC)

Ensure that the information of all approved SAMSSs is disseminated per

SAEP-301 paragraph 4.7(g).

Page 6 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

Revision Summary
15 October 2008 Revised the "Next Planned Update". Reaffirmed the contents of the document, and reissued
with editorial changes.

Page 7 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

Attachment I – Exception Style Saudi Aramco Materials System Specification

The Exception style SAMSS is preferred. It shall follow the document structure
outlined below.

TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS (Mandatory)

The Title and Table of Contents identify the material specification and lists its contents.
Subheadings may be used to improve the usefulness of the Table of Contents.

SCOPE (Mandatory)

The Scope will define the material or equipment covered by the specification. In most
cases the Scope will begin with:

“This specification defines the minimum mandatory requirements for .”

If the document's Scope is not unique to Saudi Aramco, summarize the Scope section of
the industry standard. The Scope may include a description of areas specifically
excluded from the document. (For example: “This specification is not applicable to
bowl-type submersible pumps”). Do not include requirements in the Scope.

CONFLICTS AND DEVIATIONS (Mandatory)

Include the following two paragraphs in each SAMSS:

“Any conflicts between this specification and other applicable Saudi Aramco
Materials System Specifications (SAMSSs), Engineering Standards (SAESs),
Standard Drawings (SASDs), or industry standards, codes, and forms shall be
resolved in writing by the Company or Buyer Representative through the
Manager (Consulting Services, Loss Prevention, etc.) Department of Saudi
Aramco, Dhahran.”

“Direct all requests to deviate from this specification in writing to the Company
or Buyer Representative, who shall follow internal company procedure SAEP-
302 and forward such requests to the Manager (Consulting Services, Loss
Prevention, etc.) Department of Saudi Aramco, Dhahran.”

Some SAMSSs may indicate that someone in Saudi Aramco must review or approve
specific items covered by the specification (alternate designs, repairs, welder
qualifications, test procedures, etc.). In this case, the SAMSS must indicate the specific
position (Standards Committee Chairman, Unit Supervisor, Division Coordinator, etc.)
who is delegated this responsibility, and must direct the Company or Buyer
Representative to forward all submittals to that position for further processing.

Page 8 of
Document Responsibility: Standards Coordinator SAEP-119
Issue Date: 15 October 2008 Preparation of Saudi Aramco
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Materials System Specifications

REFERENCES (As applicable)

List all documents that are referred to in the SAMSS. Do not list documents that are not
referred to. Include the following requirement in this section:

“Material or equipment supplied to this specification shall comply with the latest
edition of the references listed below, unless otherwise noted.”

References are categorized by type under the following subheadings:

- Saudi Aramco References
- Industry Codes and Standards
- Other References

SAES-A-112, “Meteorological and Seismic Design Data,” has been developed to

consolidate this information and should be referenced in SAMSSs and attached to
purchase requisitions and orders, when environmental or seismic design criteria apply.

INFORMATION REQUIRED WITH QUOTATION (Optional)

This section is optional. It can be used to improve the quality of quotations received by
Saudi Aramco, as well as the bid evaluations that are prepared. This section is
especially applicable for material or equipment that is complex in nature (rotating
equipment, electrical switchgear, etc.). Use the following paragraph, together with a list
of information required to evaluate the Supplier's quotation.

“Supply the following information with the quotation. This information is

necessary and will be used to complete the technical evaluation of the quotation.
The quotation will be considered technically unacceptable if any of the
information requested is not included.”

QUALIFICATION (Optional)

This section is optional. It can be used to ensure the procurement of critical material or
equipment that has demonstrated high levels of problem-free performance and the
capability of achieving extended reliability and safe operation over its useful life at a
minimum cost. Use the model paragraphs below to develop an appropriate set of
requirements that can determine material or equipment qualification. Do the following
to these paragraphs:
(a) Specify the performance characteristics that apply to the SAMSS's material or
equipment.
(b) Adjust the number of units and time limits to achieve the level of confidence
associated with the complexity and criticality of the material or equipment.

Page 9 of
Document Responsibility: Standards SAEP-
Coordinator Issue Date: 15 October 2008 119
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Preparation of Saudi

(c) If an alternate method of qualification is not appropriate, delete the example

shown. If an alternate method is appropriate, modify the example below or add
other methods.
(d) Add a list of those critical areas that will be used to evaluate the material or
equipment, and
(e) indicate the specific position with the authority to decide on the acceptability and
qualification of the material or equipment.

“Qualification: Material or equipment offered to meet the requirements of this

specification must be qualified based on demonstrable operating experience. To
qualify, the following criteria must be satisfied:
- At least (quantity) units with identical or equivalent performance
characteristics (speed, power rating, discharge pressure, mass flowrate, etc.)
must have been manufactured at the proposed location of manufacture and
satisfactorily operated for at least (quantity) year(s).
- As an alternative, if all “equivalent performance characteristics” do not exist
in an individual unit, qualification can be satisfied by demonstrating the
experience in several units of a design similar to that proposed, that
collectively cover the range of all characteristics. In this case, each of these
units must still have satisfactorily operated for at least (quantity) year(s).
- Supply the following information on the performance and design of existing
equipment for use in determining material or equipment qualification:

(List of information and evaluation requirements, such as this example taken

from 31-SAMSS-001):
o Pressure, relative molecular mass, volumetric capacity, power rating,
speed, and temperature
o Sealing system, bearing design & loading, stage number & arrangement,
casing size & design, rotor dynamics, impeller design & performance,
material selection, etc.)
- Approval of material or equipment qualification will be determined by
(indicate the specific position that will evaluate and approve).”

MODIFICATIONS TO INDUSTRY STANDARD (Mandatory)

Use the remainder of the document to identify the changes to individual paragraphs in
the referenced industry standard. Begin the section with the following paragraph,
inserting the name and number of the industry standard in place of the parentheses.

Page 10 of
Document Responsibility: Standards SAEP-
Coordinator Issue Date: 15 October 2008 119
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Preparation of Saudi

“The following paragraph numbers refer to (industry standard) which is a part of

this specification. The text in each paragraph is an addition, modification,
exception, or deletion to the requirements of (industry standard), as noted.”
COMMENTARY (Optional)

Section 3.4 of this procedure allows the use of short Commentary Notes that add
information or requirement explanations to assist specification users in the proper
interpretation and implementation of the document. Limit notes to essential
information, without which there is a high probability of misinterpreting or
misapplying the requirements. Locate the note immediately after the portion of
the specification to which it applies. Begin the note with the word
"COMMENTARY", and select an italics font for the note.

OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS (Optional)

Include at the end, any miscellaneous requirements that are not covered by the industry
standard such as:
- Nonmaterial Requirements (“7900-series” NMR forms)
- Inspection and Testing (“175-series” forms)
- Packing Specifications (“8314-series” or “8444-series” forms)

Page 11 of
Document Responsibility: Standards SAEP-
Coordinator Issue Date: 15 October 2008 119
Next Planned Update: 15 October 2013 Preparation of Saudi

Attachment II – Narrative Style Saudi Aramco Materials System Specification

In case an appropriate industry standard does not exist, or there are none considered
suitable for the Exception style format, write the SAMSS using the Narrative style
format. Up to “Modifications to Industry Standard”, the major sections in the body of
this format are identical to and follow the same order as those shown in Attachment I.
Select those “Optional” sections that apply to the material or equipment covered by the
SAMSS, and add other sections as necessary.

TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS (Mandatory)

SCOPE (Mandatory)

CONFLICTS AND DEVIATIONS (Mandatory)

REFERENCES (As applicable)

INFORMATION REQUIRED WITH QUOTATION (Optional)

QUALIFICATION (Optional)

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (Optional)

(Use this section for definitions and for specifying other requirements of a general
nature.)

MATERIALS (Optional)

(Use this section to cover mandatory material selection requirements.)

DESIGN (Optional)

(Use this section to cover mandatory design requirements.)

FABRICATION AND ASSEMBLY (Optional)

(Use this section to cover mandatory fabrication and installation requirements,

including those that facilitate maintenance.)

TESTING AND INSPECTION (Optional)

(Use this section to cover testing and inspection requirements, with their associated
acceptance criteria.)

Page 12 of