ISO 10426-2:2003

Overview

ISO 10426-2:2003 - "Petroleum and natural gas industries - Cements and materials for well cementing - Part 2: Testing of well cements" specifies requirements and recommendations for laboratory testing of cement slurries and related materials under simulated well conditions. The standard defines sampling, preparation, apparatus, calibration and test procedures used to evaluate performance properties of well cements to support safe, durable zonal isolation in oil and gas wells.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 10426-2:2003 covers a comprehensive test suite and associated quality controls, including:

• Sampling and sample handling - procedures for sampling dry and liquid cement additives, blended cements, mixing water, shipping, storage and sample preparation prior to testing.
• Slurry preparation and density determination - apparatus, calibration and procedures for making representative cement slurries and measuring slurry density.
• Compressive strength tests - well-simulation methods to determine cement compressive strength along cement columns and after specified curing schedules.
• Non‑destructive sonic testing - sonic/transit-time techniques for cement evaluation and data reporting requirements.
• Thickening‑time tests - procedures, apparatus and calibration for determining cement set time under simulated downhole temperatures (including procedures for tests at ≤88 °C (190 °F) and above).
• Fluid‑loss and permeability tests - static fluid‑loss cells, liquid and gas permeability methods, and calculation procedures.
• Rheology and gel strength - rotational viscometer methods, calibration, rheological modelling and gel strength measurements.
• Flow and pressure‑drop calculations - guidance to calculate flow regime, pressure drop and equivalents for Newtonian, power‑law and Bingham plastic slurry behaviours.
• Special topics - slurry stability and sedimentation tests, compatibility with wellbore fluids, arctic cementing procedures, and use of pozzolans.
• Annexes - normative and informative annexes for large‑volume slurry preparation, thermocouple calibration, alternative apparatus and cementing schedules.

Practical applications and users

ISO 10426-2:2003 is used to ensure reliable laboratory evaluation of well cement systems and to support field design and quality control. Typical users include:

• Oil and gas operators and drilling engineers designing cementing programs
• Cement manufacturers and service companies conducting product qualification and R&D
• Well cementing laboratories performing standardized tests (rheology, fluid loss, strength, permeability)
• Regulatory and inspection bodies assessing compliance and well integrity procedures
• Consultants and technical trainers developing cementing procedures and acceptance criteria

Related standards

• Part of the ISO 10426 series (cementing standards for petroleum and natural gas industries). Consult other parts of the ISO 10426 series and relevant national/regional standards for complementary requirements.

Keywords: ISO 10426-2:2003, well cement testing, cement slurry testing, well cementing, petroleum and natural gas, thickening time, fluid loss, rheology, permeability.