Unlike international standards like ASME or ISO, which aim for global general applicability, NORSOK standards are prescriptive. They are designed specifically for the harsh, corrosive, and demanding environment of the North Sea. The specifically dictates the requirements for material selection, design, fabrication, and testing of piping systems and their associated components.
To replace individual oil company specifications with a common industry standard to reduce costs and lead times.
While the standard is officially known as NORSOK L-002, the addition of "PDF" is significant. It points directly to the of the document, which is available for free from the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and Standards Norway. Unlike many other industry standards that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, the NORSOK standards were intentionally made free to download as PDFs to ensure wide adoption and improve safety and efficiency across the industry.