ENS 48300
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
02:00 Sep 12, 2012 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Lost Am-241/Be Well Logging Source |
| Event Description | The following information was obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services Radiation Branch via e-mail:
On September 11, 2012, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] was notified by the licensee that an Americium-241/ Beryllium [well logging] source could not be located. The source had been used earlier that day at a well site near Pecos, Texas. The well logging crew left the Pecos site and went about 130 miles to a well site south of Odessa, Texas. When the crew went to remove the Am-241 source they discovered the source transport container lock and plug were not in place and that the source was missing. The crew returned to the well site near Pecos and searched for the source, but did not find it. The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) stated that the lock was found in the storage compartment in the back of the truck. The transport container plug was not in the container. The RSO stated they were putting together a group to look for the source along the roadway between the two locations. The RSO stated that the crew stated that they did not stop anywhere along the route between the two locations. The RSO stated they were verifying that using the vehicles black box. The RSO agreed to contact the appropriate local law enforcement. The RSO stated he would send a copy of the latest dose rate readings for the source to the Agency. The Agency has notified their local inspectors of the event. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300 [Reporting Material Events]. The source was described as approximately 7 inches long by 1 inch in diameter stainless steel cylinder. The State has not requested any assistance in locating the source at this time. Texas Report I-8988
The following update was received from the State of Texas via fax: [At] 1430 hours0.0166 days <br />0.397 hours <br />0.00236 weeks <br />5.44115e-4 months <br /> [CDT] the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] was contacted by the licensee and provided the following information. The licensee has completed a press release which provides a description of the source, actions to take if found, and stated that they would offer a reward. The press release will be issued by their Public Information Group. The licensee has completed logging of the well near Pecos and the source was not located. The licensee stated that the well site had been searched and surveyed twice. The licensee stated that the road between Pecos and Odessa had been surveyed using well logging tools extended from pickup trucks and driven between 5 and 10 miles per hour and the source was not found. The licensee stated they have had people on the ground searching, but did not know how much area away from the well site in Pecos had been searched. The licensee has sent a Radiation Safety Officer and a second supervisor to the Pecos well site. The RSO is bringing scintillation survey instruments to the well site for additional surveys. An Agency inspector will meet the RSO at the well site. The licensee has reviewed the well logging data and confirmed that the source was installed on the tool during logging operations. The licensee has performed preliminary interviews with the operator involved. The licensee indicated that additional interviews are required. They have not been able to determine how the source could have been lost during transport. The licensee stated that they completed a review of the truck's black box and confirmed that the truck did not stop while traveling between the two well sites. The license stated that the local sheriff has responded to the Pecos location and was interviewing the tool operators. The licensee stated they believe that the group supervisor involved had been evaluated under the IC's [Increased Controls] as trust worthy and reliable. The licensee stated that other entities at the well site as well as the lease holder have been notified of the event. The licensee stated that they will continue to search for the source until it can be located. The Agency has offered their assistance to the licensee. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA - 300 [Reporting Material Events]. Notified R4DO (Lantz) and FSME (McDermott), IRD (Marshall), ILTAB (Whitney) and Mexico via email/fax.
The following update was received from the State of Texas via e-mail: A third search of the well site was completed on September 12, 2012 at 2030 hours0.0235 days <br />0.564 hours <br />0.00336 weeks <br />7.72415e-4 months <br />. The source was not found. The licensee will resume the search early today. The licensee stated that surveys will be conducted on the road between Odessa and Pecos today. The licensee stated that a mud pit at the Pecos site will be logged today. The logging truck is at their shop in Odessa now and they are literally stripping it down, removing every piece of equipment looking for the source. The licensee stated that the three individuals who were conducting the well logging operations when the source was lost were interviewed by individuals from the Federal Bureau of Investigation working with the Department of Transportation. The licensee stated that the FBI would only say that they believed there was no criminal activity involved with the missing source. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA - 300. Notified R4DO (Lantz) and FSME (McDermott), IRD (Marshall), ILTAB (Whitney) and Mexico via email. The following update was received from the State of Texas via e-mail: On October 5, 2012, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] was notified by the licensee that the missing Americium - 241/Beryllium source had been recovered. No additional information was available at the time of the report. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300. Notified R4DO (Powers). ILTAB (Hahn), FSME Events Resource and Mexico informed via email. THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial gauges involving high activity sources (for example: level gauges, dredger gauges, conveyor gauges and spinning pipe gauges) and well logging. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Halliburton Houston, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 02113 |
| Organization: | Texas Department Of Health |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+6.62 h0.276 days <br />0.0394 weeks <br />0.00907 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Art Tucker 08:37 Sep 12, 2012 |
| NRC Officer: | Bill Huffman |
| Last Updated: | Oct 5, 2012 |
| 48300 - NRC Website | |
Halliburton with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 556372021-11-16T06:00:00016 November 2021 06:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Notification of Abandonment of Well Logging Sources ENS 483002012-09-12T02:00:00012 September 2012 02:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Lost Am-241/Be Well Logging Source 2021-11-16T06:00:00 | |