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 Start dateReporting criterionTitleEvent descriptionSystemLER
ENS 5257725 February 2017 14:30:00Agreement StateAgreement State Report - Potential Contamination Event

The State of Texas provided information on a potential contamination event at the Halliburton Energy Services facility in Houston, TX. An employee was working on a well logging tool that contained a 1.3 microCurie Cs-137 source. While removing the Cs-137 sealed source from the tool, an employee noticed a small hole in the Cs-137 capsule. The employee stopped working on the tool, cleared the area, and restricted access to the room where the work was being performed. Contamination swipes were taken in the area and sent to a third party laboratory for analysis. No over exposures were indicated. The initial survey of the worker identified a small area of one of his boots that had some contamination.

  • * * RETRACTION FROM KAREN BLANCHARD TO DONG PARK AT 1030 EST ON 2/27/17 * * *

The following event retraction was received from the State of Texas via email: Initial information concerning this event was provided via telephone on 2/26/2017. However, after further evaluation of the information provided by the licensee, it has been determined that this event does not meet any reporting requirement. Texas Incident #: 9467 Notified the R4DO (Deese), NMSS Events Notification via email.

ENS 5025428 June 2014 04:00:00Agreement StateAgreement State Report - Fixed Industrial Gauges Damaged During FireThe following was received from the State of Ohio via email: On 6/29/14 at 1330 EDT, ODH (Ohio Department of Health) received a call that there was a fire at an oil well location in Hannibal, Ohio, Monroe County. A hydraulic line on a piece of drilling equipment failed, spilling hydraulic fluid onto a hot engine, igniting the fluid. The fluid continued to rapidly leak, which caused the fire to spread. When the fire department arrived on scene, the well pad was reported to be fully engulfed in flames. The drilling company has reportedly lost 20 vehicles in the fire. There were three density gauges on site, two (2) of which were mounted on equipment and one was mounted on the well. There were no detections of radiation at that time. On 6/30/14 two ODH inspectors were dispatched to the site to verify that the gauges were secure and had not suffered damage from the fire. Upon arrival the ODH inspectors were not allowed to go onto the drilling pad area because it is still being cleared of potentially explosive hazardous chemicals and unexploded ordinance (used in fracking process). The inspectors attended a meeting regarding status of the site and were briefed by representatives from Halliburton (the licensee). The gauges involved were two (2) Model 100-SD, containing 120 mCi of Cs-137 each, and one (1) Model 55-SD containing 66 mCi of Cs-137. Halliburton was able to conduct an initial visual inspection and survey of the gauges. They stated that there did not appear to be any significant visible damage and the devices appeared to be intact. They recorded readings of 0.5 mR/hr on contact for the Model 100-SD gauges, and 0.3 mR/hr on contact on for the Model 55-SD gauge. Wipe tests were taken by the licensee to check for leakage and the field survey indicated no contamination. The wipes were sent to a laboratory for further analysis. Licensee personnel will put up warning signs and barriers around the gauges once the site is safe for other than emergency operations. It is expected to be several days before the site is determined to be safe enough for any movement or removal of the devices. On 7/2/14 the licensee was granted permission from the site manager to remove the gauges. All three gauges were removed without incident, and appeared to be intact (although scorched on the exterior from the fire). There were no incidents during the removal and no radiation readings recorded above those originally reported. The three gauges were placed in over packs, with proper labels and shipping papers, and were sent to the Halliburton headquarters in Texas for further evaluation. Ohio Reference Number: ODH 2014-017.
ENS 4202826 September 2005 05:00:0010 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i)Nuclear Gauges Lost Offshore Due to Hurricane RitaOn 9/30/05, Rowan Companies of Houston, TX reported to the licensee that two generally-licensed slurry density gauges sank along with the drilling rig they were installed on due to Hurricane Rita. The rig was abandoned prior to the hurricane's approach and so the event date is an estimate. The rig is the Rowan Odessa owned by Rowan Companies. The rig was located at Ship Shoal 250 (distance offshore and depth of water not provided). Rowan Companies performed aerial searches of the area in an attempt to find the rig. Both gauges are Halliburton 10-SD gauges with Cs-137 sources manufactured by Isotope Products. The first device has serial number V32-0246 with a current source activity of 11.11 milliCuries (source serial number DB-076). The second device has serial number W2C-097 with a current source activity of 9.4 milliCuries (source serial number DB-140). The licensee notified NRC Region 4 (J. Whitten).
ENS 414728 March 2005 06:00:00Agreement StateTexas Agreement State ReportThe following information was obtained via e-mail from the Texas Department of Health Services, Inspection Unit, Radiation Branch (e-mailed text in quotes): The following is a description of the incident: Unit 10560498/10540094 went out on 02/02/05 at 19:30 hours to a temporary job site. Unit returned to the Laredo, TX facility at 16:53 hours 02/03/05. The Unit was serviced by HES (Halliburton Energy Services) employee checking out at 19:30 hours 02/03/05. The Unit was detained by Border Patrol at Freer check point with ex-employee driving Unit at 23:22 hours 02/03/05. The densometers were inventoried at the time HES recovered the Unit from the Border Patrol. The densometers that were on the unit were: Densometer V3C- 131, Isotope Cs- 137, Activity 11.7 (milliCuries) and Densometer W2C-086, Isotope Cs-137, Activity 11.7 (milliCuries). After a phone call with the licensee, it turns out that the driver was an ex-employee that went into Halliburton's yard and stole a truck that was later used in an attempt to smuggle contraband thru a Border Patrol check point. The truck never crossed the Texas border. The driver was arrested after Border Patrol agents were alerted to the truck and Halliburton was immediately notified of the theft of the truck. They (HES) then sent someone to claim the vehicle and the sources. (State of Texas Department of Health) has requested a copy of the police report. Texas Incident Number I-8215.
ENS 413878 February 2005 17:30:0010 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i)Licensee Reported a Shipment They Were to Receive Is Unaccounted for

Halliburton Energy Services had shipped a well logging source and calibrating source containing 18.5 curies of Am-241 Be and .5 curies of Am-241 from Nizhnevartovsk, Russia to Houston TX. Both sources were in a 18" dia 23" long cylindrical type "A" container which weighed 83kg. The sources went through Amsterdam to JFK in New York and cleared customs in New York on 10/09/04. After clearing customs they have not been able to track the package to any of the transport companies that were scheduled to handle it. An ongoing search is still being conducted.

  • * * UPDATE ON 02/09/05 @ 1751 FROM RICHARD ARSENAULT TO CHAUNCEY GOULD * * *

The licensee was notified at 1621 CT that the unaccounted for sources were located at the Forward Freight facilities in Boston, MA. It appears that they were trucked to Boston after a Boston label was inadvertently placed on the package at the Newark facility of Forward Freight. The licensee stated the package appears to be intact and the are sending a rep to Boston on 2/10/05. Notified Regs 1 & 4, NMSS, PAO, DHS, DOT, DOE, IP, TAS, STP

  • * * UPDATE ON 02/10/05 @ 1358 HRS. EST FROM ARSENAULT TO CROUCH * * *

A representative from Halliburton Energy Services has verified that the sources and packaging are intact and all source material is accounted for. Forward Air Freight is scheduled to ship the package to Halliburton in Houston, TX. Notified R1DO (Cobey), R4DO(Whitten), R4 (Cain) and NMSS (Essig).

  • * * UPDATE ON 2/13/05 @ 2348 EST BY S. SANDIN * * *

During administrative review of this report, two (2) corrections were made; the previously shown notification time of 1921 EST was corrected to read 1642 EST, and the 10 CFR Section citation of 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) was corrected to read to show 20.2201(a)(1)(i).

  • * * UPDATE FROM HALLIBURTON (BROWN) TO NRC (HUFFMAN) AT 10:33 EST ON 02/14/05 * * *

The licensee reported that the source has arrived in Houston and is currently enroute to the Halliburton facility and is scheduled to arrive at 1100 CST. R1DO( Lorson), R4DO (Whitten), and NMSS (Moore).

  • * * UPDATE FROM HALLIBURTON (BROWN) TO JEFF ROTTON AT 1601 EST ON 02/15/05 * * *

The licensee reported that the source was delivered to the Halliburton facility at 1100 CST on 02/14/05 and has been satisfactorily inspected and leak tested with no problems. Notified R1DO (Cobey), R4DO (Whitten), and NMSS (Moore).