Material Requisition
MR
A Material Requisition (MR) is the EPC procurement document that specifies the technical requirements for an equipment, instrument, or bulk material package issued to vendors for bidding. The MR contains the project material specification, service conditions, design data, quality and inspection requirements, regulatory references, and applicable codes. Every PO line item ultimately traces back to an MR.
Full Definition
A Material Requisition (MR) is the structured engineering specification document issued by the EPC contractor or owner-operator to vendors for procurement bidding. The MR contains the project material specification (carbon steel grade, stainless grade, special alloy), service conditions (design pressure, design temperature, fluid composition, corrosion allowance), quality requirements (EN 10204 MTR type, NDE percentage, hydrostatic test), inspection requirements (TPI agency, hold points, witnessed tests), regulatory references (IBR, PESO, ASME, NACE, OISD), and applicable codes (ASME B31.3, ASME Section VIII, API 6D, API 650). The MR is the source document for Technical Bid Evaluation (TBE) and for downstream Mill Test Report (MTR) validation. See the MR package assembly product for the Pathnovo automation.
Context & Detail
MR in the EPC procurement workflow
MR sits between engineering deliverables (P&IDs, datasheets, equipment specifications) and vendor bidding. Engineering produces the project material specification and equipment datasheet. Procurement bundles the specification, datasheet, regulatory references, and commercial terms into the MR. The MR is issued to qualified vendors. Vendor proposals are evaluated against the MR through Technical Bid Evaluation (TBE). The successful bidder receives the Purchase Order (PO) which references the MR specification.
MR scope and packaging
A typical EPC project produces 80-200 MR packages spanning equipment (vessels, exchangers, pumps, compressors, columns), instruments (control valves, transmitters, analysers, fire and gas), bulks (piping, valves, fittings, electrical cable, fire-water hydrants), and services (welding, painting, scaffolding, inspection). Each MR package is sized to be commercially viable for vendor bidding and technically coherent for engineering review.
MR content structure
A typical MR contains: project material specification (PMS) reference, equipment datasheet, design conditions table, applicable codes and standards, regulatory references (IBR, PESO, ASME, NACE, OISD), quality and inspection requirements, hydrostatic test pressure, painting and insulation specification, packaging and transport requirements, documentation requirements, and commercial reference (PO format, payment terms, delivery requirements). MRs are typically 20-200 pages depending on package complexity.
MR in Indian PSU procurement
Indian PSU refineries (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC, Reliance) follow PSU-specific MR formats with detailed compliance requirements: PSU rate-card material grades, Indian IS / BIS standards in parallel with ASME / API, IBR / PESO / OISD compliance references, Indian PSU TPI requirements (TÜV, BV, SGS, IRS), and Indian content requirements per PSU procurement rules. Indian EPC contractors producing PSU-format MRs benefit from automation tied to PSU specification templates.
EPC Usage
- 01
Every greenfield refinery, petrochemical plant, fertiliser plant, and gas processing facility produces 80-200 MR packages covering equipment, instruments, bulks, and services.
- 02
Major equipment MRs (compressor packages, gas turbines, columns, hydrocracker reactors) typically run 100-500 pages with detailed datasheet, design conditions, codes references, and inspection requirements.
- 03
Bulk material MRs (piping, valves, fittings, electrical cable) typically run 30-100 pages with material specification, quantity schedule, and quality requirements.
- 04
Indian PSU procurement requires native PSU-format MR output. Each major Indian PSU has its own MR template with PSU rate-card material grades and Indian regulatory cross-references.
- 05
Brownfield revamp and capacity expansion projects produce fresh MRs for new procurement scope. The MR specification often references existing plant material specifications for compatibility.
- 06
MR revisions during bidding are common as engineering clarifies specification or vendors raise technical questions. The MR revision history must be tracked alongside the TBE clarification log for procurement audit.
How Pathnovo Handles It
Pathnovo's MR package assembly product auto-generates Material Requisitions from P&IDs, datasheets, equipment specifications, and the Piping Material Specification. The product extracts line lists, valve lists, and instrument schedules from P&IDs and feeds the MR with tag-level traceability. Combined with the TBE automation product, Pathnovo covers MR-to-PO procurement workflow end-to-end. Used by Indian EPC contractors on PSU mandates to compress MR turnaround from weeks to days while improving consistency across packages. See the procurement intelligence pillar for the broader procurement workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MR stand for?
MR stands for Material Requisition. In EPC procurement, the Material Requisition is the structured engineering specification document issued to vendors for procurement bidding. The MR contains material specification, service conditions, quality and inspection requirements, regulatory references, and applicable codes.
How is MR different from PO?
MR (Material Requisition) is the engineering specification issued to vendors for bidding before order placement. PO (Purchase Order) is the commercial contract issued to the successful bidder after Technical Bid Evaluation and commercial evaluation. The PO references the MR specification as the basis for material acceptance.
How many MRs does an EPC project produce?
A typical greenfield refinery produces 80-200 MR packages spanning equipment, instruments, bulks, and services. Petrochemical and fertiliser plants run 50-150 MRs. Mid-EPC projects ($50M-$500M scope) run 30-100 MRs. Major equipment packages dominate the cumulative MR effort.
What does an MR contain?
A typical MR contains the project material specification (PMS) reference, equipment datasheet, design conditions table, applicable codes (ASME B31.3, ASME Section VIII, API), regulatory references (IBR, PESO, OISD, NACE), quality and inspection requirements (EN 10204 MTR type, NDE percentage, TPI agency), hydrostatic test pressure, painting and insulation, documentation requirements, and commercial reference.
Who produces the MR?
Engineering produces the project material specification (PMS) and equipment datasheet. Procurement bundles the specification, datasheet, regulatory references, and commercial terms into the formal MR document. The discipline owner (mechanical for vessels, piping for valves, I&E for instruments) signs off on the technical content before MR issue.
Can Pathnovo automate MR assembly?
Yes. Pathnovo's MR package assembly product auto-generates MRs from P&IDs, datasheets, equipment specifications, and the Piping Material Specification. Used by Indian EPC contractors to compress MR turnaround and improve consistency across packages.
What is the relationship between MR, PMS, and PO?
PMS (Piping Material Specification) is the engineering reference. MR (Material Requisition) packages the PMS plus datasheet plus regulatory references for vendor bidding. PO (Purchase Order) is the commercial contract awarded after TBE that references the MR specification. The three documents form the engineering-to-procurement chain.
Related Pages
MR Package Assembly
Auto-generate Material Requisitions from P&IDs and datasheets.
TBE Automation
Technical Bid Evaluation against the MR specification.
Procurement Intelligence Pillar
MR, TBE, MTR, vendor data validation across EPC procurement.
MTR Traceability Software
Mill test reports validated against the MR specification.
TBE Standard Reference
Technical Bid Evaluation explained for EPC procurement.
MTR Standard Reference
Material Test Report standard, downstream of the MR.
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