((NORM%20in%20Oil%20Industry

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NORM and TENORM

• NORM All Naturally Occurring Radioactive
  Materials where human activities have increased
  the potential for exposure in comparison with the
  normal situation.
• Human activities may lead to enhanced
  concentrations of radionuclide often referred
  to as Technologically Enhanced Naturally
  Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM ) and
  (or) enhanced potential for exposure to naturally
  occurring radioactive materials in products,
  by-products, residues and wastes.

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Uranium series
U-2384,47 x 109 y
U-234248,000 y
Pa-234m1.17 min
Emission of beta particle
Th-23075,400 y
Th-23424.1 d
Isotopehalf-life
Ra-2261620 y
Emission of alpha particle
Rn-2223.82 d
Po-210138 d
Po-2183.11 min
Po-214164 µs
Bi-2105.01 d
Bi-214 19.9 min.
Pb-206stable
Pb-21022.3 y
Pb-21426.8 min.
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Thorium series
Th-23214.1 x 109 y
Th-2281.91 y
Emission of Beta particle
Ac-2286.13 h
Isotopehalf-life
Ra-2285.75 y
Ra-2243.62 d
Emission of alpha-particle
Rn-22055.6 s
Po-216145 ms
Po-2120.299 ?s
Bi-21260.55 min
Pb-21210.64 h
Pb-208Stable
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Naturally Occurring Radionuclides

• There are numerous naturally occurring
  radionuclides. The radionuclides most commonly
  found in nature include the following primordial
  radionuclides of terrestrial origin
• the uranium series (238U and its decay products)
• the thorium series (232Th and its decay products)
• potassium-40 (40K)

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Natural Radionuclides of Little Significance

• Numerous other naturally occurring radionuclides
  (e.g. the actinium series (235U and its decay
  products), carbon-14 (14C) and other cosmogenic
  radionuclides derived from cosmic particle and
  rays (e.g. 7Be)) can occur in nature however
  these are of little significance in terms of
  radiation exposures.

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NORM industry candidates

• Mining and processing of uranium ores
• Rare earths mining/extraction
• Thorium extraction use
• Niobium extraction
• Oil and gas (scales, sludge, produced water,
  comtaninated sand/soils)
• Phosphate industry (residues from mining and
  fertilizers production)
• Zircon zirconia
• TiO2 pigment production
• Metals production (Sn, Cu, Al, Fe, Mg, Zn, Pb)
• Water and waste treatment residues (filters,
  sludge)
• Energy production including coal power
  production, geothermal energy production .
• Miscellaneous industrial sources and consumer
  products such as,
• production of clay and ceramics, glazed
  tableware with elevated levels uranium and/or
  thorium, and
• small industrial sources such as welding
  rods containing elevated levels of thorium, as
  well as scales, sludge and contaminated filters
  from different types of processing, etc.

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NORM in oil gas production

• Scales or hard deposits in production tubulars
  and topside equipment which has been in direct
  contact with the production stream,
• Contaminated sludge, sand, clay, heavy oil in the
  production system (separators, skimmer
  tanks.....etc.),
• Enhanced levels of natural radionuclides in
  produced water,
• contamination soils, sand, lakes/water pounds,
  ground water resources and sea water,
• Thin films or condensates and contaminated steel
  (lead-210) in production, transport and storage
  systems in gas production (and/or in mixed
  oil-gas production),
• NORM residues in decommissioning of production
  installations and restoration of NORM
  contaminated areas.

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The main forms of appearance of NORM in oil and
gas production

• Radium scales ,Radium sludge
• Lead deposits ,Lead films
• 226Ra, 228Ra, 224Ra , progeny
• 210Pb , progeny
• Hard deposits containing sulphates and
  carbonates of Ca, Sr, Ba
• wet parts of production installations
• well completions
• Sand, clay, paraffin, heavy metals
• separators
• skimmer tanks
• Stable lead deposits
• oil gas treatment and transport

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NORM residues

• Many NORM residues are produced in very large
  volumes, although the activity concentration of
  radionuclides is relatively low.
• However, there are some residues where the
  volumes are smaller but the levels of
  radioactivity are relatively high.
• There is also the possibility that a NORM residue
  from one industry may be regarded as a raw
  material or a feedstock for further processing.

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NORM residues, cont.

• Residues may be chemically toxic and/or
  radioactive,
• Residues can range from dry solids (varying from
  rocks to fine powders),
• Other chemical constituents within the material
  may include heavy metals, inorganic elements
  (e.g. arsenic) and various organic compounds,
• The potential for such non-radiological
  substances needs to be considered when planning
  the management of NORM residues.

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NORM residues cont.

• NORM residues come in many forms, including
• Scales from formation water from oil and gas
  production
• Sludge from water filtration systems
• Residues from metal processing e.g. red mud,
  tailings , slag,
• NORM residues are usually characterised by being
  in large volumes with low specific levels of
  radioactivity e.g
• Uranium mill tailings and phosphogypsum
• NORM residues can also be small volumes
  containing high levels of specific radioactivity
  e.g.
• Sludge from water treatment plants
• - scale from oil gas pipelines

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Example of NORM residues production Oil and
Gas Industry

• Dissolved matter in formation water
• Transport with produced water
• Deposition on insides of pipes, valves, vessels
• The water contained in oil and gas formations
  contains 228Ra, 226Ra and 224Ra dissolved from
  the reservoir rock, together with their decay
  progeny.
• When this water is brought to the surface with
  the oil and gas, changes in temperature and
  pressure can lead to
• the precipitation of radium rich sulphate and
  carbonate scales on the inner walls of production
  equipment (e.g. pipes, valves, pumps).

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Hazards of NORM

• Because NORM scale generally contains so little
  activity, the external radiation field is
  generally low. However some old tubular,
  separators or pumps may give measurable radiation
  fields.
• Because of the high alpha content, NORM scale is
  a significant internal hazard.
• Requirement needs to stop NORM scale particles
  being inhaled or ingested.
• precautions should be taken when working with
  NORM .

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Source Term Characterization

• Dissolved radium either remains in solution in
  the produced water or, if the conditions are
  right, precipitates out in scales or sludge,
  equipment may contain residual quantities of
  NORM-contaminated water, scale, or sludge that
  can cause exposure problems when the equipment is
  taken off-line for maintenance, repair, or
  replacement.

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• Numerous surveys had been conducted by industry
  and state agencies to characterize the occurrence
  and distribution of NORM.
• Unfortunately, most of the data from these
  surveys are not readily available.
• because they have been collected by private
  companies and the lack of access to data.

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• Data published from some of the earlier surveys
  indicate that total radium concentrations
  typically range from undetectable levels to
  several thousand Pico curies per liter or gram.
• Anomalously high concentrations up to
• 15.170 MBq/Kg in scale
• 25.900 MBq/Kg in sludge ,
• 203 kBq/Kg in water,
• in more recent studies, Available data indicate
  that total radium concentrations range from
• undetectable levels to 103.600 MBq/Kg in most
  produced water.

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• Scale
• The source term concentrations used in this
  assessment were based on the scale and sludge
  composite concentrations used in a risk
  assessment conducted by the EPA and the state of
  Louisiana,
• Total radium concentrations in scale typically
  range from undetectable levels to concentrations
  as high as 151.700 MBq/Kg have been
  reported.
• The median concentrations for total radium in
  scale was 17.760 kBq/Kg (13.320 kBq/Kg for
  Ra-226 and 4.280 kBq/Kg for Ra-228).
• The EPA estimates that approximately 25,000 tons
  of NORM-contaminated scale is generated annually
  by the petroleum industry.
• EPAU.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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• Sludge
• Sludge deposits consist of accumulations of heavy
  hydrocarbons, produced formation sand, and minor
  amounts of corrosion and clay debris that settle
  out of suspension in some oil field equipment.
• NORM accumulates in sludge when radium co
  precipitates with silicates and carbonates inside
  piping, separators, heater/ treaters, storage
  tanks, and any other equipments.

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• NORM of sludge concentrations range from
  undetectable levels to high concentration as
  25.900 MBq/Kg had been documented .
• The median concentrations for total radium in
  sludge was 2.775 kBq/Kg , (2.072 kBq/Kg for
  Ra-226 and 0.703 kBq/Kg for Ra-228).
• The EPA estimates that approximately 225,000 t of
  NORM contaminated sludge is generated annual.

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Norm Concentrations in Scales
Types of NORM residues
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Norm Concentrations in Sludge
Types of NORM residues
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Natural gas production and processing

• equipment may be contaminated with a thin film of
  Pb-210 plated onto interior surfaces. Lead-210
  sometimes is produced along with natural gas
  partitioned mainly between the propane and ethane
  fractions.
• median exposure levels for gas processing
  equipment range from 2 to 76 µR/h above
  background,
• ( background level 7 µR/h).
• Maximum exposure levels had been measured
• as 5,300 µR/h in surveys of scale or sludge
  inside the equipment.

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For Occupational Health Purposes

• Working with NORM materials can result in
  exposure to gamma radiation and the inhalation of
  long lived alpha emitting radionuclides.
• The radionuclide composition of the NORM is
  quantified as this assists in the compilation of
  the occupational safety assessments and the
  interpretation of the dust sampling results.
• The bioassay of workers (e.g. urine sampling for
  uranium).

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Exposure Pathways to Humans

• - Atmospheric pathways
• Inhalation of radon and its daughters.
• - Inhalation of radioactive particulates
  (dust).-
• - Terrestrial pathways
• Ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs.
• External irradiation.
• -Aquatic pathways
• Ingestion of contaminated water.
• Ingestion of foods produced using irrigation,
  fish and other aquatic biota.

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NORM Contaminated Scrap
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Contaminated Items
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Scrap Items from a NORM Facility
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NORM Scales (Pipes)
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Scale and Sludge
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Disposal of Production Water on Purpose to
Evaporate
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Disposal of scale and sludge
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Summary-1

• Many types of naturally occurring radionuclide
  are found throughout the environment.
• The most important in terms of their dose
  contribution are the primordial radionuclides of
  the uranium and thorium decay chains.
• The decay chains contain a complex mixture of
  radionuclides with widely varying physical and
  chemical properties.
• Accumulations of materials can result in
  significant gamma radiation and dust
  concentrations in the workplace,

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Summary - 2

• Non-equilibrium radionuclide mixtures can occur,
• The mixtures need to be properly characterized,
• Both workplace and personal monitoring may be
  required,
• Surface contamination monitoring will be used to
  assess ,material and dust control systems.
• In most types of samples the most important NORM
  radionuclides can be analyzed utilizing XRF and
  HpGe equipment and methods.
• Sites contaminated by historical NORM residues
  are a common phenomena worldwide.

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Summary-3

• Contaminated sites and materials may be used by
  the public resulting in radiation exposures.
• Monitoring is required throughout the life of the
  facility.
• The monitoring of NORM facilities is complicated
  by the presence of natural background radiation.
• Monitoring and surveillance are essential to
  provide assurance that the NORM facility is
  operating in a safe manner in accordance with the
  regulatory requirements.

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• Thank you for your Attention