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 1 an oil and gas well located in Coshocton County. Ohio. Well logging 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 s
was being lifted out of the well, it became stuck at approximately 6.000 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.
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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 I
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