The oil and gas industry is responsible for the release of and exposure to radioactivity from radioactive materials resulting from extraction, drilling, fracturing and production activities. Oil and gas production involves the use of various types of radiation, including gamma rays, X-rays and neutrons. Some of these emissions are potentially hazardous to health and the environment. Personal electronic dosimeters are used to properly monitor employee exposure to radioactivity.
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In this article, we look at the sources of radioactive emissions in oil and gas production and how they are controlled. We will also look at some of the safety measures put in place to protect employees from radioactivity.
The oil and gas industry is always looking for ways to improve efficiency while maintaining a high level of safety, whatever the often difficult climatic conditions or environmental challenges.
The oil and gas industry comprises several sectors, including construction, exploration, production, downstream and marketing. The construction sector is responsible for the manufacture and production of facilities and equipment, the exploration sector for the discovery and evaluation of new resources, and the production sector for the development and operation of commercially viable oil and gas fields.
Although oil and oil exploration are generally associated with combustion-related contaminants such as CO2 or greenhouse gases (GHGs), it is often forgotten that these same processes can expose many workers to radioactivity.
People living near oil exploration and processing facilities risk exposure to potential radioactivity through radioactive elements, and may be vulnerable to the harmful effects of radiation. Strict controls must be put in place to protect both employees and the general public from exposure to novice radiation, as well as radioactive waste or hazardous chemical waste.
Oil and gas companies are heavily dependent on companies specializing in services and the supply of equipment and expertise, such as industrial radiography, which includes radiation protection. The professional radiation protection advisor (CRP) is responsible, within the organization, for supervising work involving ionizing radiation.
The oil & gas industry uses a variety of radiation sources, including naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and non-destructive testing (NDT).
NORM occurs naturally in reservoir rock formations and oil wells. Radiation levels in NORM materials are often due to radium, a radioactive element found in abundance in oilfields.
Radioactive materials travel with the oil and produced water, reaching surface water or groundwater contained in water tables.
First, these NORMs pass over the top of the well, then through the downstream equipment. This is where the flow of liquids and solids is regulated by high-static-pressure Christmas trees. Subsequently, these materials travel through the entire production process of the offshore platforms, more specifically the FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Units).
After the material has been processed, NORM radiation can accumulate at various points. For example, in downhole casings, wellheads, production manifolds and production pipelines. Concentrations can also be found in certain processing equipment. This includes diaphragm seals, filters, safety valves, water outlets and sludge tanks used during the oil extraction process. These concentrated radioactive deposits represent a risk during production, maintenance and decommissioning.
In addition, the oil industry makes extensive use of open and closed radiation sources for activities such as non-destructive testing and industrial radiography. These radioactive elements are used for level indication, density measurement and sensor calibration.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) is a set of X-ray techniques and tools used to assess the properties of materials, components or systems, without causing damage. These techniques are widely used in the oil & gas industry for X-ray inspection of welds on pipelines and storage tanks. Non-destructive testing (NDT) and industrial radiography using X-ray equipment involve the use of radioactive elements such as cobalt-60 or cesium-137 to search for defects in pipelines.
Overall, radioactive sources have become increasingly important in the oil and gas industry, offering a cost-effective means of detection and quality control.
In addition, the oil and gas industry makes extensive use of radioactive elements, sealed sources and radiation generators that generate radioactive waste. This results in the production of various solid and liquid wastes, contaminated articles and decontamination wastes containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).
To ensure the safety of oil & gas employees and the public, strict regulations must be followed. The Radiation Protection Competent Person (RCP) program can provide advice and guidance on the best means of protecting workers from radioactivity.
There are 3 ways to protect oil and gas workers from ionizing emissions.
When oil and gas employees are exposed to high NORMs, during pipe inspection or NDT radiography activities, it is recommended that they wear a radiation measuring device to calculate the radioactivity exposure dose.
For external exposure to penetrating radiation from sources outside the human body, electronic personal dosimeters form part of operational dosimetry and are used to measure potential external exposure and indicate cumulative external exposure. Dosimeters are capable of measuring rapidly changing transient dose rates in real time. They can also record the total radiation dose that oil & gas workers accumulate over time.
These personal dosimeters need to be robust, hard-wearing, portable, lightweight and equipped with sensitive detectors like Fuji Electric's EPD electronic personal dosimeter .
It is necessary to choose a dosimeter that is versatile, suitable and effective for different types of specific tasks. Radiation protection equipment must be capable of measuring low-dose-rate gamma rays, for example for monitoring sludge returns, as well as the high-dose-rate range fields that can arise in certain accidental situations, such as emergencies involving the recovery of an unprotected X-ray source.
Employees likely to be exposed to high levels of radiation, as in industrial radiography, must also wear a real-time dosimeter. The active dosimeter must be attached to your clothing at all times. These dosimeters trigger an alarm that lets wearers know when they are receiving a high dose of radiation and take countermeasures for their safety. Radiation exposure data are then transmitted and logged in the SISERI system, which consolidates and stores exposure results for each worker.
Neutron sources used in well logging generally emit both gamma and neutron radiation. Each person involved must wear a radiation monitoring device such as the modern Fuji Electric NRF51 personal dosimeter, which can measure both gamma and neutron radiation with a single measuring instrument.
These three simple rules of the ALARA principle can help reduce exposure to radioactivity from external sources:
REDUCING THE PASSAGE OF TIME
MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE
MAINTAIN A BARRIER
In addition, people who work directly with ionizing radiation and are not trained in this field must be sufficiently competent to assume their responsibilities, should the need arise. This is particularly important for people whose main qualifications come from other disciplines, such as scuba diving.
It is necessary to provide relevant information to people who are not directly involved in the work.
These individuals could be affected by the work in one way or another. It is therefore essential to give them specific details or instructions. This information will enable them to minimize any possible exposure.
The level of training should be appropriate for people with different levels of experience, including people such as qualified experts and radiation protection officers. Other people likely to be included are employees professionally exposed to radioactive elements on a regular basis, office or factory workers, and any other persons.
Before training begins, trainers need to be fully conversant with the technologies to be used, as well as the company's procedures and environment.
In this article, we've looked at the different types of radiation present in the oil & gas field, natural radiation sources such as NORMs, and the open and closed radiation sources found in industrial radiography equipment. Some of these radioactive materials are potentially hazardous to health and the environment, especially if not properly managed.
The oil and gas industry must demonstrate that appropriate measures are in place to regulate radiation exposure, manage environmental contamination and dispose of waste to ensure safe working practices. To ensure the radiological health, safety and well-being of workers, the public and the environment, as well as their protection from radioactivity, all operators of oil and gas facilities using radioactive sources must have a radiation protection program in place.
A personal electronic dosimeter can both protect employees' health and prevent future litigation against the company. Keeping a record of employee radiation exposure can both prevent frivolous lawsuits and identify hazards to employees. Oil & gas workers who adhere to ALARA principles and wear appropriate dosimeters protect themselves from radiation exposure.
