• Independent Assessments - Reducing Non-productive Time - Increasing Performance

  • A fully integrated approach to equipment failure prevention

  • Search for Approved Suppliers and validate Certificates of Approval

  • An Accreditation Programme that provides assessment at Facility, Product, Process and Design levels

What does an Approved Supplier mean?

Why use an NS Approved Supplier?

The use of NS-1™ Standard for the manufacture and repair of drilling and completion equipment continues to grow in line with the expansion of the number of Offshore Wells, HP/HT Wells and Extended Reach Wells that are being drilled. 

So it’s not a great surprise that more and more manufacturers are making NS-1™ equipment – some for the first time.

For procurement and drilling teams this throws up an interesting question and an important challenge.

When looking at a supplier’s web site or quality data pack – what is the difference between

  • ‘Complying with the NS-1™ Standard’
  • ‘Manufactured to the NS-1™ Standard’
  • ‘NS-1™ Approved’

and how can they be sure that what is delivered meets their requirements?

These three phrases may sound the same – but only one of them means that the manufacturer in question has been independently assessed for their capacity to manufacture the named products to the NS-1™ Standard.

‘NS-1™ Approved’ companies hold ‘Certificates of Approval’ issued under the auspices of the ‘NS-1™ Accreditation Programme’. 

A purchaser should check that any other claim made of the company’s ability to meet the requirements of the NS-1™ Standard are supported by some form of third party and independent assessment.

The aforementioned independent assessments performed through NS-1™ Accreditation Programme consist of on-site assessment by a NS Accreditations & Standards auditor who has global experience in the manufacturing of drilling equipment and the machinery, processes and the quality inspection testing requirements needed to make sure that the specific facility concerned has the knowledge and technology in place to meet the rigorous standards set down in NS-1™.

It is also important to note that certification applies ONLY to the actual facility audited and NOT to any other facility that the company may have or use for manufacturing drilling equipment. In the same way it only applies to the equipment named on the certificate and to the sizes identified.

Special care should also be taken to examine all certificates for any ‘restrictions’, ‘conditions’, ‘exclusions’ or ‘Nota Benes’ that are included.