Overview
ISO 13085:2014 - Petroleum and natural gas industries - Aluminium alloy pipe for use as tubing for wells defines the technical delivery conditions, manufacturing processes, material requirements, configuration and dimensions, and verification and inspection procedures for aluminium alloy tubing used as downhole tubing in oil and gas wells. The standard is focused on seamless aluminium-alloy pipe intended for well tubing applications and sets out requirements that help ensure mechanical performance, corrosion resistance, traceability and consistent supply quality.
Key Topics
- Scope and purchaser information: Orders should reference ISO 13085 and specify quantity, delivery condition, outside diameter, wall thickness, material group, length, delivery date and inspection requirements.
- Manufacturing process: Tubing shall be produced by the seamless process and heat treated by solution treatment followed by artificial or natural aging. No cold working after final heat treatment except for normal straightening or threading.
- Material and mechanical requirements: Includes metallographic examination, chemical composition limits and tensile properties to verify alloy performance for downhole service.
- Configuration & dimensions: Covers pipe geometry, lengths, upset ends, wall thickness, straightness, ovality, eccentricity, drift requirements and optional internal coatings.
- Testing & inspection: Defines required test methods, measuring methods, hydrostatic and other verification tests, non-destructive inspection options, and purchaser inspection procedures (Annex A).
- Traceability & documentation: Mandates procedures for heat/lot identification, marking, certification, record retention and packaging/transport/storage.
- Corrosion testing: Includes guidance and annexed procedures for corrosion testing of aluminium alloys in well environments.
Applications and users
ISO 13085:2014 is applicable to aluminium alloy tubing used for:
- Production tubing and injection tubing in onshore and offshore oil & gas wells
- Lightweight downhole tubulars where aluminium alloys are selected for corrosion behavior or weight reduction
Primary users:
- Tubing manufacturers and pipe mills (quality & production teams)
- Oil & gas operators and procurement teams specifying tubing for wells
- Inspection and testing laboratories and third-party inspectors
- Standards and materials engineers responsible for well completion materials
Related Standards
Normative references and related documents commonly used with ISO 13085 include:
- ISO 6892 (tensile testing of metallic materials)
- ISO 11961 (steel drill pipe)
- ASTM G1, ASTM G44 (corrosion test practices)
- ASTM B917 (heat treatment of aluminium alloys)
- NACE TM0177 (sulfide stress cracking testing)
Using ISO 13085 helps ensure aluminium tubing meets consistent manufacturing, inspection and documentation practices for reliable well performance and regulatory compliance.