. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/BRA/52
4 September 2002
(02-4707)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   BRAZIL
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:  Agency responsible:   National Institute of Metrology,
Standardization and Industrial Quality-INMETRO
Telephone: +(55) 21 2563.2824Telefax: +(55) 21 2502.6542
Email: barreirastecnicas@inmetro.gov.br
Web-site: www.inmetro.gov.br /articulacoes
Agency responsible:   Brazilian National Petroleum Agency
Telephone: +(55) 21 3804 0000
Telefax: +(55) 21 3804 0102/03/04
Web-site: www.anp.gov.br
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-siteaddresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):    Processed natural gas
for industrial, domestic, commercial and automotive applications and energy generation
(HS:2711.21)          
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Ministerial Act
number 104, July 8th 2002 (Portaria número 104  de 8 de julho de 2002), issued by the
Brazilian National Petroleum Agency, on the marketing requirements for national and
imported processed natural gas.  (11 pages, in Portuguese).
6.Description of content:  Ministerial Act and Annex Technical Regulation which lay down
the marketing requirements for national and imported processed natural gas for industrial,domestic, commercial and automotive applications and energy generation. This technical
regulation does not apply for natural gas employed as raw material for the chemical process
industry. The determination of the product characteristics will be carried out based on the
following American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) or Braz ilian Standardisation Body (NBR) standards:
NBR 12230 – Prescrições para sua aplica ção (Directions for its application)
ASTM D 1945 Standard Test Method for Analys is of Natural Gas by Gas ChromatographyG/TBT/N/BRA/52
Page 2
ASTM D 3588 Standard Practice for Calculating Heat Value, Compressibility Factor, and
Relative Density (Specific Gravity) of Gaseous Fuels
ASTM D 5454 Standard Test Method for Water Vapor Content of Gaseous Fuels Using
Electronic Moisture Analyzers
ASTM D 5504 Standard Test Method for Determination of Sulfur Compounds in NaturalGas and Gaseous Fuels by Gas Chromatography and Chemiluminescence
ISO 6326 Natural Gas – Determination of Sulfur Compounds, Parts 1 to 5
ISO 6570 Natural Gas – Determination of Potential Hydrocarbon Liquid Content, Parts 1-2
ISO 6974 Natural Gas – Determination of composition with defined uncertainty by gas
Chromatography, Parts 1 to 5
ISO 6976 Natural Gas – Calculation of calorific values, density, relative density and Wobbe
index from compositionISO 10715 Natural Gas – Sampling Guidelines
ISO 13686 Natural Gas – Quality Designation
ISO 15403 Natural Gas – Designation of the quality of natural gas for use as a compressed
fuel for vehicles          
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Consumer’s safety;  the prevention of deceptive practices
8. Relevant documents:  Ministerial Act number 104, July 8th 2002 (Portaria número 104  de 8
de julho de 2002); NBR 12230 SI ; ASTM D 1945; ASTM D 3588; ASTM D 5454;
ASTM D 5504; ISO 6326; ISO 6570 ; ISO 6974; ISO 6976; ISO 10715; ISO 13686; ISO
15403.          
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }9 July 2002
10. Final date for comments:   Not stated
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
http://www.inmetro.gov.br/articulacoes/pontofocal/buscaNotificacao.asp