ISO 10426-3:2019

Overview

ISO 10426-3:2019, "Petroleum and natural gas industries - Cements and materials for well cementing - Part 3: Testing of deepwater well cement formulations," provides laboratory procedures and test guidance for designing and verifying cement slurries used in deepwater or low-temperature well environments. Published as the 2019 second edition, this part of the ISO 10426 series supplements API RP 10B-3 (2nd edition, 2016) and adapts test schedules and reporting for the unique thermal and pressure histories of deepwater operations. Deepwater is defined here as water depth greater than 600 m and/or areas with low seafloor temperature.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Deepwater test simulation: Procedures for reproducing downhole temperature and pressure histories using numerical modelling and laboratory schedules that reflect effects such as water depth, mudline temperature, geothermal gradient, thermoclines, and pipe/casing thermal mass.
• Thickening-time determination: Specific methods for thickening-time schedules for casing/liner operations (with and without liner-top packers or expandable hanger systems), open- or closed-hole plugs, and continuous or hesitating pumping squeeze cementing. Tests require recording the full thickening-time curve and the time to 70 Bc (or 100 Bc) as the operational safety threshold.
• Compressive strength testing: Procedures for destructive strength testing are referenced and adapted; ASTM C109/C109M is applicable for compressive strength determination (replacing an earlier specific edition reference).
• Sonic and destructive strength measurement: Expanded laboratory procedures and guidance for sonic (transit time) testing and reporting, plus where to measure strength (casing shoe, mudline, top-of-liner, plug and squeeze locations).
• Test scope exclusions: The standard excludes mitigation of shallow water flow in deepwater wells (see API RP 65 for that topic).

Practical applications

• Design and qualification of cement formulations for deepwater wells and cold seafloor conditions.
• Developing thickening-time schedules for field operations to ensure safe pump and placement windows.
• Laboratory verification of compressive and sonic strength at key downhole locations for quality control and risk assessment.
• Sensitivity testing under “most likely” and “less likely” thermal scenarios to inform well cementing decisions.

Who should use this standard

• Drilling and completion engineers
• Cement and drilling-fluid laboratories
• Oil & gas service companies and manufacturers of well cements
• Well integrity and QA/QC teams involved in deepwater projects

Related standards

• ISO 10426-1 (Specification)
• ISO 10426-2 (Testing of well cements)
• API RP 10B-3 (testing recommendations - 2nd ed., 2016)
• API RP 65 (shallow water flow in deepwater wells)
• ASTM C109/C109M (compressive strength test method)

Keywords: ISO 10426-3, deepwater well cementing, well cement formulations, thickening time, compressive strength, sonic testing, API RP 10B-3.