ISO 23333

Natural gas — Upstream area — Requirements and test of slick water

This document specifies the performance and test method of slick water, which is mainly used for product quality control in fracturing operation.

Gaz naturel — Secteur amont — Test de l’eau glissante et exigences

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 75.060 - Natural gas
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 193/SC 3 - Upstream area
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 193/SC 3 - Upstream area
• Current Stage: 6000 - International Standard under publication
• Start Date: 10-Sep-2025
• Completion Date: 13-Sep-2025

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
First edition
Natural gas — Upstream area —
Requirements and test of slick water
Gaz naturel — Secteur amont — Test de l’eau glissante et
exigences
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Requirements . 2
4.1 pH .2
4.2 Compatibility .2
4.3 Residue content .2
4.4 Drag reduction .2
4.5 Dissolution time.2
4.6 Kinematic viscosity .2
5 Sampling . 2
5.1 General .2
5.2 Laboratory sampling .3
5.3 Field sampling .3
6 Testing. 3
6.1 pH .3
6.2 Compatibility .3
6.3 Residue content .3
6.4 Drag reduction .3
6.5 Dissolution time.3
6.6 Kinematic viscosity .3
7 Inspection . 3
8 Accompanying documents . . 4
Annex A (normative) Compatibility testing . 5
Annex B (normative) Residue content testing. 7
Annex C (normative) Dissolution time testing . 9
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 193, Natural gas, Subcommittee SC 3,
Upstream area.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
iv
Introduction
Unconventional reservoirs, represented by shale gas, have increasingly become a hotspot in the exploration
and development of global oil and gas resources. The success of the shale gas revolution has fundamentally
reshaped the global energy landscape. Economical and efficient development of shale gas has become a key
aspect of the global oil and gas industry.
Volume fracturing technology is the core technique for the economical and efficient development of shale
gas. Slick water, as a type of fracturing fluid that can be mixed and injected on-site, plays a significant role
in the effectiveness of shale gas reservoir transformation using volume fracturing technology. Currently,
besides China and the United States, countries such as Argentina, Australia and Canada are also actively
promoting and applying slick water volume fracturing technology to develop their shale gas resources.
However, differences in technical requirements of slick water among countries hinder global trade
cooperation in this field. To address this issue, this document aims to establish an international standard
for slick water performance requirements. It provides a common technical solution for shale gas producers,
sellers, users, and government agencies in regions rich in shale gas such as Asia-Pacific, North America and
South America. It aims to:
— reduce costs;
— expand market size;
— resolve disputes effectively;
— promote cooperation and usage of slick water technology;
— enhance global cooperation efficiency in shale gas exploration and development;
— foster the large-scale, sound development of the shale gas industry.
Furthermore, it aims to advance the exploration, development and application of global green and low-
carbon energy.
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
v
International Standard ISO 23333:2025(en)
Natural gas — Upstream area — Requirements and test of
slick water
1 Scope
This document specifies the requirements, sampling, testing, inspection and accompanying documents of
slick water.
This document is applicable to fracturing fluid systems used in hydraulic fracturing operations in shale gas.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3104, Petroleum products — Transparent and opaque liquids — Determination of kinematic viscosity and
calculation of dynamic viscosity
ISO 3170, Hydrocarbon Liquids — Manual sampling
ISO 7055, Natural gas — Upstream area — Determination of drag reduction in laboratory for slick water
ISO 13503-3, Petroleum and natural gas industries — Completion fluids and materials — Part 3: Testing of
heavy brines
ISO 14532, Natural gas — Vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 14532 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
slick water
water-based fracturing fluid, which is composed of drag reducer, other additives and water
Note 1 to entry: Slick water is mixed and injected on-site during fracturing operations. This means it is prepared in
real-time at the job site according to specific proportions and requirements and then immediately injected into the
wellbore for fracturing operations.
[SOURCE: ISO 7055:2023, 3.3, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.2
compatibility
capacity to form a fluid mixture that does not undergo undesirable chemical and/or physical reactions
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
3.3
drag reduction
ratio of the pipeline flow friction of a specific fluid to that of distilled or deionized water
[SOURCE: ISO 7055:2023, 3.2, modified — “pipe flow friction of a given fluid relative to the pipe flow friction”
has been changed to “ratio of the pipeline flow friction of a specific fluid to that”.]
3.4
kinematic viscosity
ratio of a fluid's dynamic viscosity to its density at a given temperature
4 Requirements
4.1 pH
The pH values should be between 6,0 and 9,0.
4.2 Compatibility
No precipitation or flocculation shall occur at the test condition.
4.3 Residue content
For slick water, the residue content shall be less than or equal to 150 mg/l.
4.4 Drag reduction
Drag reduction of slick water shall be greater than or equal to 60 %.
4.5 Dissolution time
Drag reducers and other additives in slick water shall dissolve within 40 s.
4.6 Kinematic viscosity
At the test condition, the kinemati
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ISO /TC 193/SC 3/WG 8
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Date: 2025-05-05
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Natural gas — Upstream area — Requirements and test of slick
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Gaz naturel — Secteur amont — Test de l’eau glissante et exigences
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ISO #####-#:####(X/PRF 23333:2025(en)
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All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication Formatted: Default Paragraph Font
may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
Formatted: No page break before, Adjust space
or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO
between Latin and Asian text, Adjust space between
at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
Asian text and numbers
Formatted: Adjust space between Latin and Asian text,
ISO copyright office
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CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
Formatted: English (United Kingdom)
Formatted: English (United Kingdom)
Fax: [phone]
EmailE-mail: [e-mail]
Formatted: German (Germany)
Website: www.iso.orgwww.iso.org
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Latin and Asian text, Adjust space between Asian text
Published in Switzerland
and numbers
Formatted: German (Germany)
Formatted: Font: 11 pt
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single
ii
ISO/DISPRF 23333:2025(en) Formatted: Font: 11 pt
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Contents
Line spacing: single, Tab stops: Not at 0.71 cm
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Foreword . v
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Introduction . vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Requirements . 2
4.1 pH . 2
4.2 Compatibility . 2
4.3 Residue content . 2
4.4 Drag reduction . 2
4.5 Dissolution time . 2
4.6 Kinematic viscosity . 2
5 Sampling . 2
5.1 General. 2
5.2 Laboratory sampling . 3
5.3 Field sampling . 3
6 Testing . 3
6.1 pH . 3
6.2 Compatibility . 3
6.3 Residue content . 3
6.4 Drag reduction . 3
6.5 Dissolution time . 3
6.6 Kinematic viscosity . 3
7 Inspection . 3
8 Accompanying documents . 4
Annex A (normative) Compatibility testing . 5
Annex B (normative) Residue content testing . 7
Annex C (normative) Dissolution time testing . 9

Foreword . iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Requirements. 2
4.1 pH . 2
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4.2 Compatibility . 2
4.3 Residue content . 2
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4.4 Drag reduction . 2
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4.5 Dissolution time . 2
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4.6 Kinematic viscosity . 2
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5 Sampling . 3
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iii
ISO #####-#:####(X/PRF 23333:2025(en)
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5.1 General . 3
5.2 Laboratory sampling . 3
5.3 Field sampling . 3
6 Testing . 3
6.1 pH . 3
6.2 Compatibility . 3
6.3 Residue content . 3
6.4 Drag reduction . 4
6.5 Dissolution time . 4
6.6 Kinematic viscosity . 4
7 Inspection . 4
8 Accompanying documents . 4
Annex A (normative) Compatibility testing. 5
Annex B (normative) Residue content testing. 6
Annex C (normative) Dissolution time testing . 7
Formatted: Font: 11 pt
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single
iv
ISO/DISPRF 23333:2025(en) Formatted: Font: 11 pt
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Foreword
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ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
Adjust space between Asian text and numbers
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of
ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Formatted: Default Paragraph Font
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may inv
...