PETROLEUM AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES Standards Summary – September 2025

Looking back at September 2025, the Petroleum and Energy Technologies sector experienced a notable period of standardization activity, with the publication of three new or revised documents shaping practices in natural gas odorization, gas quality management, and solid biofuels. These standards are pivotal for professionals committed to operational safety, regulatory alignment, and process optimization. This retrospective overview synthesizes technical advancements, highlights essential requirements, and explores the implications for industry stakeholders who may have missed these landmark publications.

Monthly Overview: September 2025

In September 2025, the evolution of standards in Petroleum and Energy Technologies (ICS 75) reflected a heightened focus on energy safety, quality assurance, and renewable fuel measurement. While the number of standards released this month—three—might seem modest, their impact is far-reaching, touching on the nuanced control of gas odorization, advances in biofuel quality assessment, and comprehensive regulation of high-calorific value (Group H) gaseous fuels. Compared to prior months, September's standards indicate a balance between improving technical processes and addressing newly emerging energy landscape needs such as biofuel integration and cross-border gas supply harmonization.

The interconnections between these publications—ranging from measurement science to quality thresholds—highlight the industry's direction: towards fostering interoperability, supporting energy transition strategies, and managing compliance risks for both traditional and alternative fuels. The documents also reinforce a trend towards greater standardization of measurement and safety methodologies that underpin infrastructure reliability and consumer protection.

Standards Published This Month

ISO/TS 18222:2025 – Natural Gas: Odorant Concentration and Odour Intensity Correlation

Natural gas – Correlation between odorant concentration in air and odour intensity

This technical specification addresses a critical safety and operational concern: ensuring the detectability of natural gas leaks through the reliable correlation of odorant concentration with perceived odour intensity. Rather than specifying required odour intensity levels—which remain the prerogative of national regulation—ISO/TS 18222:2025 prescribes standardized procedures for establishing correlational curves between measured odorant (e.g., mercaptans, sulfides) concentrations in ambient air and resultant odour intensity as experienced by human panels.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Outlines a detailed method for training panelists, preparing test environments, presenting odors, and statistically expressing results via olfactory degree scales.
• Establishes an odour intensity scale (0–10 "olfactory degrees"), facilitating objective and replicable comparisons.
• Cites dependencies on related standards such as EN 13725:2022 for panel selection and olfactometry, and harmonizes definitions from ISO 5492 and ISO 14532.

Compliance and Industry Implications:

• Gas transmission, distribution, and storage operators, as well as laboratories, need to implement or review their olfactometric testing protocols to align with this specification.
• Supports cross-border regulatory convergence by offering a harmonized methodology, which is especially relevant for suppliers operating in multiple jurisdictions.

Notable Features:

• Emphasizes panel training and result reproducibility
• Provides explicit apparatus guidelines for test rooms and dynamic olfactometers
• Details uncertainty calculation methods for statistical assurance

Access the full standard:View ISO/TS 18222:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 17829:2025 – Solid Biofuels: Pellet Length and Diameter Determination

Solid biofuels – Determination of length and diameter of pellets (ISO 17829:2025)

Published as a harmonized international and European standard, EN ISO 17829:2025 represents an essential update for the growing bioenergy sector, specifically addressing the dimensional analysis of solid biofuel pellets. This standard supersedes EN ISO 17829:2015, introducing expanded scope, clarified methodology, and more robust requirements for characterizing pellet dimensions, which are critical for combustion efficiency, handling logistics, and equipment compatibility.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Defines precise measurement methods for pellet diameter and length, including determination of fractions (e.g., pellets >40 mm, particles <10 mm) and average pellet length.
• Introduces multiple methods for measuring pellet dimensions, including both digital callipers and measuring blocks, and provides informative annexes for specialized pellet sizes.
• Supports compliance with fuel specification standards such as ISO 17225 series, ensuring linkages between dimensional metrics and combustion device requirements.

Compliance and Industry Implications:

• Pellet producers, energy plant operators, laboratories, and procurement specialists in the bioenergy supply chain must adopt these refined measurement protocols to ensure quality consistency and interoperability.
• Reliable dimensional data directly impacts bulk density assessments, transportation, and mechanical feeding systems in automated combustion contexts.

Notable Features (Revision Highlights):

• Extended scope to include new length and diameter class procedures
• Enhanced guidance for reporting pellet size distributions
• New annexes with illustrative measurement device plans and comparative method validation

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 17829:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 16726:2025 – Gas Infrastructure: Quality of Gas – Group H

Gas infrastructure – Quality of gas – Group H

EN 16726:2025 sets forth comprehensive requirements for the quality of gases classified as "Group H" (high calorific value natural gases) encountered in pipeline transmission, storage, and distribution across Europe. A successor to EN 16726:2015+A1:2018, this revision moves the industry closer to harmonized cross-border gas quality management, a priority amidst intensifying European energy integration and renewables (biomethane, hydrogen) roll-out.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Specifies mandatory parameters and quality limits for Group H gases, including Wobbe Index ranges, relative density, sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and hydrocarbon dew points, hydrogen concentration, methane number, and allowable contaminants.
• Introduces a structured classification system for Wobbe Index at both entry and exit points, supporting safe and efficient end-use application adjustment and market interoperability.
• Addresses impact and accommodation of hydrogen blending and renewable gases according to referenced standards (EN 16723 1 for biomethane).

Compliance and Industry Implications:

• Gas operators, network managers, shippers, and end-users must verify that supplied or received gases meet the standard’s prescriptive limits to ensure the safe and efficient operation of appliances and avoidance of infrastructure degradation.
• Harmonization measures embedded in this standard support a seamless internal energy market and reduce the risk of equipment malfunction or supply interruption due to gas quality deviations.

Notable Features (Revision Highlights):

• Inclusion of Wobbe Index entry and exit classifications, with supporting annexes on adjustment procedures
• Acceptance of hydrogen in concentrations up to 2% (mol/mol)
• Updated thresholds for sulfur, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, reflecting current operational and environmental realities

Access the full standard:View EN 16726:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

Analyzing the standards brought forward in September 2025 reveals three interwoven themes:

• Granular Measurement and Safety Benchmarking: Enhanced measurement techniques—whether for odorous compounds or biofuel pellets—underscore the industry’s commitment to precision as the basis for both safety (gas leak detectability) and process reliability (fuel combustion, equipment compatibility).
• Energy Transition Alignment: The integration of renewable fuels (bioenergy, biomethane, hydrogen-enriched gases) calls for standards that enable uniformity across increasing fuel diversity. These publications help reconcile legacy infrastructure requirements with modern, low-carbon energy sources.
• Cross-Border Harmonization: Both ISO and CEN’s involvement signals a push for greater continental interoperability, as seen in EN 16726:2025’s adaptation to intra-European energy trade and in ISO-centric approaches for measurement consistency.

The standards collectively mirror the current challenges—maintaining safety and consistency across new and legacy fuel streams, aligning measurement science, and accelerating harmonization in a rapidly evolving energy sector.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

For organizations involved in petroleum and energy technology supply chains, the September 2025 standards raise several prioritization and operational questions:

• Gap Assessment: Entities should benchmark their current measurement and quality control processes against ISO/TS 18222:2025 and EN ISO 17829:2025 to ensure full alignment; adopting updated measurement equipment and panel training where needed.
• Regulatory Timing: Transition periods may be defined at the national or European level. For revised standards (e.g., EN ISO 17829:2025), organizations with legacy procedures must plan for method/phasing updates, ensuring product test reports are compliant by the time national standards authorities withdraw superseded documents.
• Systematic Training: Compliance with standards referencing olfactometry or human-panel judgments necessitates systematic training programs and periodic panel performance checks (critical for ISO/TS 18222:2025).
• Data Management: For operators subject to EN 16726:2025, robust data capture, documentation, and reporting infrastructures should be reviewed and reinforced to support compliance demonstrations, audit readiness, and market eligibility.

Resources for getting started:

• Direct access to standards via iTeh Standards
• Crosswalks between new and superseded standards (consult national standards bodies for transition planning)
• Sectoral guidance from trade associations and technical committees

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from September 2025

September 2025 stands out as an important month for advancements in the standardization of petroleum and energy technologies. The three standards published—ISO/TS 18222:2025, EN ISO 17829:2025, and EN 16726:2025—bring measurable improvements to gas safety, renewable fuel measurement, and energy infrastructure interoperability. Professionals in the sector should:

• Review and update procedures to ensure compliance with current best practices in measurement and quality assurance.
• Recognize the role of these standards in facilitating safer, more transparent energy supply chains and in advancing the energy transition.
• Leverage the detailed methodologies and harmonization features embedded in these standards to strengthen operational reliability and regulatory confidence.

Staying informed and current with these standardization milestones is vital for maintaining competitiveness, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting the evolving landscape of petroleum and energy technologies. For further details and direct access, professionals are encouraged to explore each publication on iTeh Standards and consult with their respective technical bodies to implement critical changes.