PNO-III-96-077, on 961224 & 1229,3 Curie Am-241 Source & 2 Curie Cs-137 Source Became Snagged in an Oil & Gas Well. Efforts to Retrieve Sources Have Been Unsuccessful.Licensee Will Submit Specific Abandonment Procedures in Few Days
| ML20138G555 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 03005847 |
| Issue date: | 12/31/1996 |
| From: | Caniano R, Michael Lafranzo NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-III-96-077, PNO-III-96-77, NUDOCS 9612310168 | |
| Download: ML20138G555 (1) | |
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! December 31, 1996 l
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-III-96-077 1
This preliminary notification constitutes E/RLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially receivv without verification or evaluation and is basically all that is i
known b Region III staff (Lisle. Illinois) on this date.
Facility Liccasee Emergency Classification i
EASTERN WELL SURVEYS, INC.
Notification of Unusual Event Eastern Well Surveys. Inc.
Alert i
Wooster.0hio Site Area Emergency l~
License No: 34-12927-01 General Emergency X Not Applicable
Subject:
INABILITY TO RETRIEVE TWO WELL-LOGGING SOURCES i
On December 29. 1956, the licensee reported to NRC Operations Center (Headquarters) that a 3 curie (111 GBq) americium-241 source and a 2 curie (74 GBq) cesium-137 source on December 24, 1996. became snagged in an oil and gas well located in Coshocton County. Ohio. Well logging 1
i sources are a part of a measurement device which are used to obtain information about the well or adjacent formations. The well is j
approximately 6080 feet deep. As the device that contained the sources was being lifted out of the well, it became stuck at approximately 6.000 s
feet below ground level. The licensee has verified that the sources are not leaking radioactive material by performing radiation measurements of the well cooling fluids which circulate through the well.
t i
Efforts to retrieve the sources have been unsuccessful. The licensee has classified the sources as not retrievable. The licensee, in consultation with NRC Region III is following NRC requirements and licensee i
procedures regarding source encasing. labeling and abandonment. The t
licensee will submit specific abandonment procedures in the next few days for NRC review and approval. The licensee does not anticipate the release of radioactive material into the environment prior to or after the abandonment 3rocedures are complete. The abandonment of these type of sources at tais location does not pose a significant public health and
~
safety hazard.
1 The Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards and the State of i
Ohio have been notified. The information in this preliminary notification has been reviewed with licensee management.
This information is current as of 3:30 p.m. (CST) on December 30, 1996.
Contact:
MICHAEL LAFRANZO ROY CANIANO l
(630)829-9865 (630)829-9801 I
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9612310168 961231 g C.3 NO-I 96-077 PDR Ob I
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