ISO releases China-led international standards for natural gas sector

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released five international standards for the natural gas sector led by China, providing what experts describe as a "Chinese solution" for improving efficiency and safety in the global energy market through precise quantitative benchmarks.

Among the newly released standards is the Determination and Calculation of Shale Brittleness Index series, aimed at shale gas development. The standards address key industry challenges, including difficulties in identifying high-quality shale reservoirs and the high cost of hydraulic fracturing operations.

For the first time at the international level, the standards establish a technical framework for evaluating shale compressibility and fracability. Industry estimates suggest the standards could improve the accuracy of identifying high-quality shale reservoirs by around 10%.

The standards are also expected to raise the success rate of single-well shale gas exploration and development from the industry average of 65% to over 85%, while reducing operating costs per shale gas well by more than 10%.

Another newly released standard, Performance Testing and Requirements for Slickwater, marks the first product-related international standard in the shale gas sector led by China.

Hydraulic fracturing, a key technology in shale gas extraction, uses high-pressure fluids to release natural gas trapped in rock formations. Slickwater serves as the primary working fluid in the process.

The new standard systematically defines quality requirements and performance testing methods for slickwater, increasing testing accuracy to above 90%. Experts say the standard is expected to significantly reduce trade and arbitration disputes in the global shale gas industry.