1.1 This International Standard specifies the procedures to be used for obtaining, by manual methods, samples of liquid hydrocarbons, tank residues and deposits from fixed tanks, railcars, road vehicles, ships and barges, drums and cans, or from liquids being pumped in pipelines (see 4.3).
1.2 It applies to the sampling of liquid petroleum products, crude oils and intermediate products, which are stored in tanks at or near atmospheric pressure, or transferred by pipelines, and are handled as liquids at temperatures from near ambient up to 100 °C.
The sampling procedures specified are not intended for the sampling of special petroleum products which may be the sub-ject of other International Standards, such as aviation fuels, electrical insulating oils, liquefied petroleum gases, liquefied natural gases, bitumen and chemical products, nor to unstabilized crude oils having a Reid vapour pressure above 180 kPa (1,8 bar).
1.3 Two basic manual sampling methods are available:
— tank sampling;
— pipeline sampling.
When a batch is received or consigned, either tank or pipeline sampling, or both, may be possible. However, if both methods are used, the two sets of samples shall not be mixed.
1.4 Procedures are specified which minimize or eiiminate losses of light ends from samples. Such losses can occur during handling or transfer of samples thereby making them non-representative of the bulk material.
1.5 If the procedures intended for obtaining representative samples of stocks or movements of homogeneous petroleum liquids are applied to non-homogeneous liquids having signifi-cant variations in composition or containing sediments and/or water, the samples may not be representative.
1.6 The sampling procedures specified are intended to provide samples for the following purposes:
a) the determination of the oil quality;
b) the determination of the water content of the oils;
c) the determination of other contaminants that are not considered to be part of the liquid transferred.
If the sampling conditions for the purposes a), b) and c) are in conflict, separate samples are required.
1.7 Sampling procedures for tank contents that are not homogeneous are specified that enable the degree of non-homogeneity to be assessed and estimates of quality and quan-tity to be made.
1.8 Procedures for the sampling of residues and deposits in tanks are included, together with techniques for liquid hydrocarbons under inert gas pressure.