VOLUME VIII ISSUE IV WINTER 2014

Oil&GasTIDBITSWe Keep North Dakota Going Strong

N O R T H D A K O T A

C O U N C I LPETROLEUM

R a d i o a c t i v i t y a r o u n d u s : I t s e v e r y w h e r e

NORM information center: www.NorthDakotaOilCan.com/NDEnergyFacts/NORM

It is everywhere - in the sun, the air we breathe, the soil beneath our feet and even the water we drink and the food we eat. Naturally occurring radioactive material, or NORM, is exactly that natural, but it has gotten negative attention over the past year, making it something that is largely misunderstood.

NORM is not nuclear waste. It is not the highly dangerous material reported in exaggerated headlines and other public statements. NORM is present all around us in our everyday lives, wrote Jay Almlie, a senior research manager for the Energy and Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks, in an op-ed published earlier this year in The Dickinson Press. It is present in food, building materials, electronics, and even that wristwatch youve been wearing for years. And yes, NORM is present in Bakken shale.

A common misperception is that NORM is something used by the oil and gas industry during its drilling or hydraulic fracturing processes. This, however, is a myth.

Its not born from the industry. Its nothing that the industry put into the ground, says Kurt Rhea, general manager for Secure Energy Services, Inc., a company that specializes in oilfield waste disposal. Its something that is naturally occurring undergroundunderneath the water tables and aquifers that exist todayand is brought to the surface with production water.

This kind of NORM, which is typically silt, sand, sediment or other particulates, is brought to the surface in the production or flowback water during the drilling process. It is not dissimilar to granite, which is mined from the ground and commonly used for kitchen or bathroom countertops. In fact, granite is just one of

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NORM associated with oil and gas development includes silt, sediment, other particulates, & water.

Particulates SiltSediment

OIL FIELD NORM: WHAT IT IS

These are brought to the surface with production water during the drilling process.

This water is filtered using filtration socks to catch sediment, silt, etc.

The water is injected into a disposal well while the filters are handled by

licensed contractors.

Oil field NORM can become concentrated in tanks, pipes, and filter socks resulting in:

Tank sludge Pipe scale Used filter socks

This concentrated NORM is called technologically enhanced NORM, or TENORM, and requires special

treatment and disposal.

TECHNOLOGICALLY ENHANCED NORM

many household items that contain natural radiation, including foods high in potassium such as bananas, potatoes and Brazil nuts among others.

Filtering out the DifferencesWhile NORM is present in nearly everything around

us, some oilfield NORM that becomes concentrated does require special treatment and disposal. This kind of NORM, often found in pipes, tanks or filters (often called filter socks) is called TENORM, or technically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material. These concentrated forms may have radioactivity levels higher than that which is around us or in the background all the time.

The most commonly heard of concentration of TENORM comes in filter socks, which have, regrettably, been illegally disposed of in the past, creating some concerns. Rhea, however, says many of these are often well below the threshold of ever posing danger to members of the general public.

The main concern is radioactivity, but again, radioactivity occurs naturally. If we filled up a 20 yard container with used filter socks, and then you went and stood next to that container for an entire year, you would get about the same radioactive dose as you would from one single dental x-ray, says Rhea.

Of course, workers handling waste will still want to take preventative and protective measures, he said, but its similar to measures taken by individuals every day to prevent the spread of germs.

We wear disposable gloves that we can peel off and simply throw away in the container. Then well know were not spreading any kind of contamination, he said, stressing that TENORM would have to be inhaled or ingested to pose any risk. In the same way that you wouldnt want to handle your household garbage and then go eat a sandwich, Im going to wash my hands before I do certain activities [after handling something thats radioactive]. Some of these things are very easy for us to manage if we just apply some common sense.

Rhea says distance and shielding when working with TENORM are your friends: the further away from TENORM you are, the exposure is reduced. Any barriers placed between you and TENORM, such as clothing, latex gloves, also offer protection from exposure. In fact, ingestion or inhalation typically are the only ways that TENORM may pose any risk.

HOW OIL FIELD TENORM COMPARES

Low level nuclear

waste (e.g. medical

radioactive waste)

27,027 pCi/g

Uranium297,922 pCi/g

Phosphate Fertilizer127 pCi/g

Coal Ash59 pCi/g

Dept. of Health proposed special waste landfill limit 50 pCi/g

Coffee27 pCi/g

Avg. Filter Sock13.8-32.8 pCi/g

Kidney Beans/Sunflower Seeds8 pCi/g

Burger - 7 pCi/gFries - 5 pCi/gChocolate Milk - 1 pCi/g

Oilfield TENORM contains radiation similar to other everyday items including: