Please accept this as the preliminary notification of two devices which are currently being searched for as a result of the recent hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico. The devices are located on drilling rig ENSCO 74 however the rig has not been located. The rig owner is currently searching for the rig. The status was reported as follows: Ensco 74
Legs are still on location leaning over. Legs appear to have broken off below barge.
Rig has not been located yet.
Since rig was in SMI 149 this block is close to deeper water and may be afloat or on bottom. [NOTE: this location is off the Louisiana coast]
This rig has two densometer V32-0571 with source XA-417 and W25-599 with source DB-455 both are 10 mCi Cs-137 sources. I will advise when the rig is located either above or below water.
- * * UPDATE RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL FROM S. WOODS TO V. KLCO AT 1520 EST ON 12/05/08 * * *
Ensco Offshore Company has abandoned the search efforts for their rig the Ensco 74 which the two below referenced devices were located. With that information, we do not believe that the devices will be recovered and should be considered lost due to the hurricane activity.
Notified R4DO (D. Proulx) and FSME (C. Einberg)
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than
IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as
moisture density gauges or thickness
gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.