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.
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