This part of ISO 10414 provides standard procedures for determining the following characteristics of water based drilling fluids:

• drilling fluid density (mud weight);
• viscosity and gel strength;
• filtration;
• water, oil and solids contents;
• sand content;
• methylene blue capacity;
• pH;
• alkalinity and lime content;
• chloride content;
• total hardness as calcium.

Annexes A through K provide additional test methods.

This edition of API 13B-1 is the identical national adoption of ISO 10414-1:2008, Petroleum and natural gas industries-Field testing of drilling fluids-Part 1: Water based fluids.