API invokes provisional licensing for ILSAC and API service categories

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has invoked provisional licensing for ILSAC and API service categories, following advice from ASTM International that one of the engine tests required as proof-of-performance has become unavailable for candidate testing.

ASTM D6709, Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Automotive Engine Oils in the Sequence VIII Spark-Ignition Engine, is required to prove an engine oil formulation’s performance against the ILSAC GF-6A and API SP, SN, SM, SL, or SJ standards, including additional designations (SN PLUS and/or Resource Conserving). 

In response to this notification, API’s Bill O’Ryan, senior manager, EOLCS/DEF/MOM, said that the Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS) has invoked provisional licensing in accordance with paragraph 6.7 of API 1509, which describes the voluntary API Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System and explains to marketers how different API marks are licensed and displayed for the consumer.

Provisional licensing only applies to oil marketers that need to run the Sequence VIII Test to qualify a formulation as ILSAC GF-6A, API SP, SN, API SM, API SL, or API SJ, including additional designations (SN PLUS and/or Resource Conserving). 

Engine oils granted an API Provisional License will be listed in API’s Directory of Licensees without any special designation. The licensee is still responsible for the satisfactory performance of all engine oils that have been granted an API Provisional License.

After Provisional Licensing closes, a licensee with a provisionally licensed formulation will be given six months to obtain a passing Sequence VIII (ASTM D6709) result and provide the passing result to API for review. If a passing Sequence VIII result is not provided to API by the end of the six-month period, API will cancel the Provisional License for that formulation. For products where the provisionally licensed formulation is the only formulation for the product, that product will be withdrawn from the license. The licensee agrees to take whatever corrective action (including product recall) that is deemed necessary by API to protect consumers or API in a time frame specified by API.