2026 API/AFPM Fall Operating Practices Symposium

The Committee on Refinery Equipment is responsible for more than 220 standards that form the basis of the API Individual Certification and Process Safety Site Assessment programs. Technical subcommittees cover aboveground storage tanks; corrosion and materials; heat transfer equipment; inspection and mechanical integrity; piping and valves; pressure-relieving systems; refractory materials; electrical equipment; instruments and control systems; mechanical equipment; petroleum refining technical data; and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service. The meeting addresses consensus-based standards and best practices for downstream operations, equipment, process safety, inspection, mechanical integrity, materials, corrosion, piping, valves, controls, and refinery engineering. Participation is open to parties with a direct and material interest in the subject of a standard.

Technical conference focused on improving plant-wide performance in the refining and petrochemical industries.

The meeting brings together executives, decision-makers, and technical experts from refining businesses, technology providers, contracting and consulting firms, and equipment manufacturers. Sessions are designed to examine policies, regulations, geopolitics, and disruptions affecting the downstream sector.

Corporate and site security personnel in the refining and petrochemical industries are invited to hear expert discussion of pressing security issues, including drone usage, international security, and cybersecurity.

The Committee on Refinery Equipment is responsible for more than 220 standards that form the basis of the API Individual Certification and Process Safety Site Assessment programs. Technical subcommittees cover aboveground storage tanks; corrosion and materials; heat transfer equipment; inspection and mechanical integrity; piping and valves; pressure-relieving systems; refractory materials; electrical equipment; instruments and control systems; mechanical equipment; petroleum refining technical data; and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service. The meeting addresses consensus-based standards and best practices for downstream operations, equipment, process safety, inspection, mechanical integrity, materials, corrosion, piping, valves, controls, and refinery engineering. Participation is open to parties with a direct and material interest in the subject of a standard.

The definitive annual gathering for aboveground storage tank professionals since 1995, organized by API, developer of tank standards API 650 and API 653. The conference covers evolving standards, emerging technologies, regulatory developments, inspection and maintenance strategies, and real-world case studies for engineers, operators, regulators, and asset integrity specialists.

The conference theme is “Pipeline to Possibilities: Securing Energy, Shaping Futures.” Stakeholder Engagement & Outreach covers community and public engagement, API Recommended Practices 1162 and 1185, environmental justice, Tribal and First Nation considerations, emergency responder education, and damage prevention. Pipeline Operational Excellence addresses safety performance, in-line inspection lessons, pipeline safety management systems, safety culture, management of change, asset remediation, and operational and enterprise risk management. Technology, AI & Innovation includes inspection tools, engineering practices, control room technologies, artificial intelligence, API RP 1165, and emerging fuels. Workforce Training & Development covers succession planning, knowledge transfer, recruitment and retention, multigenerational workforces, operator qualification, inspector certification, and competency-based learning. Sustainability & New Fuels addresses CO2, hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels; safety, integrity, leak detection, corrosion management, emergency preparedness, methane emissions, and environmental stewardship. Other tracks address pipeline construction, project management, commissioning, major maintenance, contract management and trenchless technologies; leak detection systems and predictive analytics; SCADA/OT modernization, industrial control system cybersecurity, threat response and regulatory compliance; and alarm and control room management, including fatigue mitigation, controller training, management of change, records, and regulatory interpretations.

The meeting brings together executives, decision-makers, and technical experts from refining businesses, technology providers, contracting and consulting firms, and equipment manufacturers. Sessions address policies, regulations, geopolitics, and disruptions affecting downstream businesses. The agenda includes general sessions, concurrent breakout sessions, and a Government Relations Breakfast.

The program spans chemical engineering, process industries, and process safety. Spring Meeting topics include process intensification; automation, data analytics, and machine learning in Industry 4.0; ethylene production; gas processing, conversion, and utilization; refinery operations; distillation; petrochemical processing; and energy-transition technologies, policies, and industry strategies. The AI and Energy Nexus and Chemical Engineering & the Law are also listed as program areas. Process-safety programming includes the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) International Conference, the Process Plant Safety Symposium (PPSS), the Annual Loss Prevention Symposium (LPS), the Process Safety Management Mentoring (PSM2) Symposium, and a Process Safety Topical Conference. Listed subjects include process-safety management practices, plant-level methods and tools, explosion prevention, fire protection, lessons from incident investigations, hydrogen production, storage and use, and process-safety issues affecting regions around the world.

Technical committee meetings provide insight into the rationale behind new and revised API upstream standards and proven practices for safe, sustainable, and environmentally sound operations. The event also covers API-sponsored research and development. The Committee on Standardization of Oilfield Equipment and Materials is responsible for approximately 400 standards, including approximately 275 that form the basis of the API Monogram Program. Listed committee areas include offshore structures, tubular goods, valve and wellhead equipment, drilling structures, well cements, field operating equipment, drilling, completion and fluids, fiberglass and plastic pipe, drilling well control equipment, subsea production equipment, quality, completion equipment, supply chain management, materials, offshore cranes, lifting and handling, and drilling and production technology. Some listed subcommittees may not meet at this event. Participation is open to interested parties.