This document specifies the manual methods used for obtaining samples of liquid or semi-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.

It applies to the sampling of liquid products, including crude oils, intermediate products, synthetic hydrocarbons and bio fuels, which are stored at or near atmospheric pressure, or transferred by pipelines as liquids at elevated pressures and temperatures.

The sampling procedures specified are not intended for the sampling of special petroleum products which are the subject of other International Standards, such as electrical insulating oils (covered in IEC 60475), liquefied petroleum gases (covered in ISO 4257), liquefied natural gases (covered in ISO 8943) and gaseous natural gases (covered in ISO 10715).

This document refers to methods of sampling and sampling equipment in use at the time of writing. It does not exclude the use of new equipment, provided that such equipment enables samples to be obtained according to the requirements and procedures of this document.