SIST EN ISO 15156-1:2021 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 15156-1:2020 - "Petroleum and natural gas industries - Materials for use in H2S-containing environments in oil and gas production - Part 1" defines general principles, requirements and recommendations for selecting and qualifying metallic materials for service in H2S (sour service) environments. The standard targets equipment used in oil and gas production and natural‑gas sweetening plants where equipment failure could affect health, safety or the environment. It supplements-but does not replace-applicable design codes, standards or regulations.

Key points

• Applies to equipment designed and constructed using load‑controlled design methods (see Clause 5 for guidance on strain‑based methods).
• Covers all cracking mechanisms caused by H2S, including:
  • Sulfide stress cracking (SSC)
  • Stress corrosion cracking (SCC)
  • Hydrogen‑induced cracking (HIC) and stepwise cracking
  • Stress‑oriented hydrogen‑induced cracking (SOHIC)
  • Soft‑zone cracking
  • Galvanically induced hydrogen stress cracking
• Includes a non‑exhaustive Table 1 listing applicable equipment and exclusions.
• Warns that materials selected per the standard are resistant to cracking in defined conditions but not necessarily immune under all service conditions; final selection remains the equipment user's responsibility.

Key technical topics and requirements

• Evaluation and definition of service conditions (environmental composition, H2S fugacity/partial pressure, temperature, pH) to enable appropriate material selection.
• Selection methods: use of established lists/tables and decision rules for materials resistant to SSC/SCC.
• Qualification routes: documentation and material description, qualification based on field experience, or qualification based on laboratory testing (sampling, test method selection, testing conditions, acceptance criteria).
• Reporting: requirements for documenting the method of selection or qualification for traceability and compliance.

Practical applications

• Use when specifying materials for subsea equipment, wellheads, tubing, pipelines, separators and other production components that may be exposed to H2S.
• Helps engineering, materials, inspection and procurement teams reduce risk of cracking failures and avoid costly corrosion damage.
• Useful for risk assessments, materials acceptance, and developing procurement specifications for sour service environments.

Who should use this standard

• Corrosion and materials engineers
• Well and production engineers
• Materials and procurement specialists in oil & gas operators and EPC contractors
• Inspection and integrity management professionals

Related standards

• ISO 15156 series (other parts covering specific alloys and testing)
• Historical/related documents: NACE MR0175 and NACE test methods (e.g., TM0177, TM0284)

Keywords: EN ISO 15156-1:2020, H2S, sour service, sulfide stress cracking, hydrogen-induced cracking, materials selection, petroleum and natural gas, cracking-resistant materials.