Spec 9A specifies the minimum requirements and terms of acceptance for the manufacture and testing of steel wire ropes not exceeding rope grade 2160 for the petroleum and natural gas industries.

Typical applications include tubing lines, rod hanger lines, sand lines, cable-tool drilling and clean out lines, cable tool casing lines, rotary drilling lines, winch lines, horse head pumping unit lines, torpedo lines, mast-raising lines, guideline tensioner lines, riser tensioner lines, mooring and anchor lines. Ropes for lifting slings and cranes, and wire for well-measuring and strand for well-servicing, are also included.

The minimum breaking forces for the more common sizes, grades and constructions of stranded rope are given in tables. However, this International Standard does not restrict itself to the classes covered by those tables. Other types, such as ropes with compacted strands and compacted (swaged) ropes, may also conform with its requirements. The minimum breaking force values for these ropes are provided by the manufacturer.