Its related to the flange-to-pipe weld quality not the flange face quality (rating of the flange). I have forgotten most of the details but the if you look at the size/shape of the weldment you will see that for a butt weld (achieved with the WN flg) it is possible to get a far more robust weld than a lap weld (with the SO flg). If you look up welding in Google, or get a good welding handbook, it will give you all the details