Overview
ISO 3170:2004 - Petroleum liquids - Manual sampling is the international standard that defines accepted manual sampling methods for liquid and semi-liquid hydrocarbons. It covers sampling from fixed tanks, railcars, road vehicles, ships and barges, drums and cans, and from liquids being pumped in pipelines. ISO 3170:2004 applies to petroleum products, crude oils and intermediate products handled as liquids at or near atmospheric pressure and at temperatures from near ambient up to 200 °C. The standard aims to ensure sample integrity, minimize loss of light ends, and provide representative samples for quality, water and contaminant determinations.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Scope and exclusions: Applies to bulk petroleum liquids; excludes special products covered by other standards (e.g., IEC 60475, ISO 4257, ISO 8943, ISO 10715).
- Principles: Definitions of representative, spot, running and all-level samples; guidance on sampling strategy for homogeneous vs non‑homogeneous liquids.
- Apparatus: Requirements for tank samplers, drum/can samplers, pipeline samplers, sample receivers, container closures, sample coolers and portable sampling devices (PSD).
- Sampling procedures:
- Tank sampling: open, restricted and closed-system methods (including inerted tanks and vapour emission control systems).
- Pipeline sampling: procedures for manual spot samples and for high vapour pressure liquids.
- Procedures for homogeneous and non-homogeneous products, including residues and deposits.
- Sample handling: Conditioning, homogenization, transfer, subsampling and verification of mixing efficiency to preserve sample integrity.
- Safety: Safety precautions and guidance for safe manual sampling operations.
- Statistical and package sampling: Guidance on sampling packages and sampling plans referenced to ISO 2859‑1.
Applications
- Ensuring quality control and product specification testing for petroleum products and crude oil.
- Taking custody transfer or analytical samples at terminals, storage tanks, pipelines, ships, railcars and road tankers.
- Assessing water content, sediments, and contaminants in bulk hydrocarbon shipments.
- Generating legally defensible samples where manual sampling is required or automatic sampling (ISO 3171) is unavailable.
Who uses this standard
- Terminal and tank farm operators
- Pipeline and marine oil transfer personnel
- Refinery laboratories and QC/QA teams
- Petroleum assay and testing laboratories
- Regulators and inspectors responsible for custody transfer and compliance
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 3170:2004, petroleum liquids manual sampling, tank sampling, pipeline sampling, sampling procedures, crude oils, petroleum products, sample integrity.
