21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Managing NORM -Oman and Regional Issues

Brett Youngbrett.young@pdo.co.om

PDO Concession Area

Northern Assets (OND) 1. LEKHWAIR 2. FAHUD 3. QARN ALAM 4. YIBAL

Southern Assets (OSD) 5. BAHJA 6. NIMR 7. MARMUL

Red – oil linesGreen – gas lines

Saudi Arabia

U.A.E.

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

MINISTERIAL DECISION No. 249/97

Regulations for the Control and Management of Radioactive Materials

Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Environment.

6 JULY 1997

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Definition

• Radioactive materials: Any material with an activity concentration > 100 Bq/g. (Assume total activity)

• Prior to mid 2004 PDO considered material below regulatory limits (i.e. non contaminated) when the activity was < 100 Bq/g

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

PDO Sludge Sample ID 636

Ra-226 (x 6) 5.89 ± 0.09

Pb-210 (x 3) 8.17 ± 1.45

Ra-228 (x 2) 1.70 ± 0.02

Th-228 (x 7) 3.61 ± 0.67

K-40 0.267 ± 0.040

*Calc. Max. Activity Conc.

88.5

**44A CPS to K40 0.3

Sample Analysis

PDO Contaminated Material Formula: Total Activity = (6 x Ra-226) + (3 x Pb-210) + (2 x Ac-228) + (7 x Th – 228)

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Contaminated Sludge

Six of seven Assets have NORM contaminated sludge > 1 Bq/g in the open, spread out in rows

Classification Tonne %

Isotopic activity > 1 Bq/g (Ra-226) & > 5cps 7681 2.3

Isotopic activity > 2 Bq/g (Ra-226) & > 5cps 6660 2.0

Isotopic activity > 5 Bq/g (Ra-226) & > 5cps 2713 0.8

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Local Issues

• No local legislation &/or guidelines for NORM

• Limited expertise within Oman/PDO/Ministry

• Limited enforcement from Ministries

• Limited risk of litigation under Common law

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Local Issues cont.• Predominant Contractor workforce

– E.g. tank cleaning, well workovers, pigging, plant maintenance, sludge farming.

• PDO contractors with no/limited experience with managing NORM

• Theft of equipment (potentially contaminated)

• What are the other E&P contractors in Oman doing with their contaminated plant?

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Local Issues cont.• Health not seen as a priority (Engineering/Safety focus)

• Illnesses manifest for 15 - 20 years (not seen in stats)

• Worker develops lung cancer - how do we determine if illness was caused by work, genetic predisposition, lifestyle habits e.g. smoking

• Potentially exposed workforce goes back to country of origin so there are no record of illnesses

• There is no follow up of contract workers who leave Oman

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

Regional Issues

• Legislation - inconsistent or not developed

• Transfer of contaminated equipment from one country to another e.g. esp’s

• Religious issues

• Climate

• Lack of local/regional expertise

21 –23 Feb 2005 NORM Workshop 2005

What do I want to Know?

• Legislation, Guidelines & Standards – (Local versus International versus Shell)

• Management Systems (consistency of approach)• Controls (workers and others)• Disposal of NORM• Decontamination of Equipment• What are the risks (health, reputation, litigation)• When can I/we sleep at night