Norm – oil & gas radiation safety service by radiation professionals

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NORM – (Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials)Oil & gas service by radiation professionals


The geologic formations that contain oil and gas deposits also contain naturally-occurring radionuclides, which are referred to as "NORM" (Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials):

•uranium (and its decay products)•thorium (and its decay products)•radium (and its decay products)•lead-210.

Geologists have recognised their presence since the early 1930s and use it as a method for finding deposits.Much of the petroleum in the earth's crust was created at the site of ancient seas by the decay of sea life. As a result, petroleum deposits often occur in aquifers containing brine (salt water). Radionuclides, along with other minerals that are dissolved in the brine, precipitate (separate and settle) out forming various wastes at the surface:

•mineral scales inside pipes•Sludges•contaminated equipment or components•produced waters.

Before We Get Started, Some Background Information


We won't get into the risks of radiation too much since you are an insider and completely aware of them already. They are well documented:

•exposure risks to workers•exposure risks to surrounding community•risk of moving contaminated waste material•financial risk of contaminated metal and equipment•social and PR risk•legal and regulatory risk•decline in productivity plus many more.

Insiders know that if these are managed well then the risks are minimal. In fact, most incidents we hear about came about because of poor management or operation.

RISK VS. MANAGEMENT


To manage an operation well, you need to make good decisions. To make good decisions you need the best available information. To get the best information it starts with accurate, reliable data.>We have outlined 5 things you can do today to get better, more reliable, accurate data in regards to NORM.

DATA CAN HURT YOU OR HELP YOU


Ensure you are looking in the right places. Some of NORMs favorite hiding sports are:

•separator vessels •pipes •filters •dead junctions •ponds and sludge

Make sure you are looking at these spots regularly.

LOOK IN THE RIGHT PLACES


In any job you want to select the right tool. One of the common mistakes that we see is people thinking that a radiation detector is a detector. Not all radiation detectors are created equal. There are at least 4 categories of radiation detectors. So if you are doing environmental, contamination, gauges or XRF, get the tool designed to measure that.

USE THE RIGHT TOOL


You need to know how long to measure for your instrument, to enable you to achieve a meaningful result.As monitoring precision in radiation is tightly linked to counting statistics, monitor too little and the uncertainties on your measurement may exceed the actual measurement! This renders your data meaningless. Along with incorrect instrument choice, this is one of the leading causes of invalid data.

COLLECT ENOUGH DATA


If you said you were better today than you were a year ago. How do you prove that?The answer is simple you need to first show what you were like a year ago, and what you're like now. It works the same in NORM management. To show that you have not contaminated a site you need to know what the NORM levels were when you started.

DO A BACKGROUND SURVEY


Keep up to date with your regulatory requirements. There is a good chance that you have an RMP for your site. You need to stay on top of it. As with most risks it is better to manage it and stay on plan than it is to pull it together later.Try and find a partner that can help you manage the RMP and who will ensure that you are protected.

STAY COMPLIANT


When choosing a company to work with; look for: someone who has the complete offering for the management of the project; a professional that is linked to the regulatory body; a company that is committed to ensuring you get the best information.

For more information contact us

Head Office (WA)Level 1, 46 Hill Street, East Perth WA 6004PO Box 3231 East Perth WA 6892 Phone +61 (8) 9325 9948

Regional Offices69 Ann Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000Phone: +61 (7) 3112 5116Lvl,1 48-50 Smith Street, Darwin, NT 0800Phone: +61 (8) 8911 0411

GET HELP


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Norm – oil & gas radiation safety service by radiation professionals