ENS 42298
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
16:50 Jan 31, 2006 | |
| Title | Agreement State - Material Loss of Control |
| Event Description | The State provided the following information via email:
[The] RSO for Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Inc. (NM license number WL 241-33), reported at 9:50 a.m. on January 31, 2006 that Baker Hughes temporarily lost control of a 2 Ci Cs-137 sealed source after completion of a job two to three miles south of Eunice, NM in Lea County. Upon completion of the job, the crew from the Midland, TX facility secured the 18 Ci Am/Be source in its shipping container and departed the job site, leaving the unshielded Cesium source on the ground. On returning to Midland, the crew discovered the Cesium source was not in the vehicle and they immediately notified Baker Hughes personnel in Hobbs, NM. Hobbs personnel located, recovered, and secured the source approximately 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br /> after the Midland crew left the site. Preliminary information indicated there was no drilling going on at the job site when Hobbs personnel recovered the source and it was not known if any individuals received a dose. A follow-up telephone call to [the RSO] today indicates non-badged individuals were working in the area of the unshielded source. Initial calculations show the highest dose to any of these individuals to be less than 70 mRem. The New Mexico Radiation Control Bureau is continuing the investigation of the incident and will provide updated information as it becomes available. A visit to the licensee's Hobbs, NM office is planned.
Here is the update on EN 42298 (NMED item# 060083/Baker Hughes) for the dose to members of the public. Initially, Baker Hughes had calculated 68 mRem as the highest dose to a member of the public, our calculation based on the information they provided was 70 mRem. Their final report indicates that after characterization of the meter from a Radium field to a Cesium field, the maximum exposure is 60 mRem. I have attached the final report from Baker Hughes regarding the Cs-137 source left behind at a jobsite in Eunice, NM. The NM Radiation Control Bureau found the response from Baker Hughes and the corrective actions to be adequate. Notified R4DO (Bywater) and FSME (Morell) 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. Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Less than Cat 3 event. Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Less than Cat 3 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Eunice, New Mexico (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | Wl-241-33 |
| Organization: | New Mexico Rad Control Program |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+26.92 h1.122 days <br />0.16 weeks <br />0.0369 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Walter Medina 19:45 Feb 1, 2006 |
| NRC Officer: | Bill Huffman |
| Last Updated: | Apr 18, 2007 |
| 42298 - NRC Website | |
Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 499612014-03-14T05:00:00014 March 2014 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Louisiana Agreement State Report - Two Abandoned Well Logging Sources ENS 422982006-01-31T16:50:00031 January 2006 16:50:00 Agreement State Agreement State - Material Loss of Control ENS 411412004-10-19T05:00:00019 October 2004 05:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Three Well Logging Sources Abandoned Downhole ENS 409422004-08-10T05:00:00010 August 2004 05:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Well Logging Source Lost in Well During Training ENS 403652003-11-30T06:00:00030 November 2003 06:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report Regarding Well Logging Source Abandonment 2014-03-14T05:00:00 | |