NORSOK M-501 is a standard document developed by the Norwegian petroleum industry to ensure adequate safety, value adding and cost effectiveness for petroleum industry developments and operations. It is intended to replace oil company specifications for offshore installations where possible.

There are forty years of petroleum experience from the Norwegian continental shelf behind the NORSOK standards. The acronym NORSOK originally stands for "the Norwegian shelf’s competitive position" and was introduced in 1994 to cut costs and improve competitiveness on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Standards Norway has signed an agreement with the owners, the Federation of Norwegian Industries, Offshore Norge (formerly the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association) and Norwegian Shipowners′ Association, for the management of the NORSOK standards.