Radioactive Tool Goes Missing In Texas 163
Hugh Pickens writes "Oil-field service companies lower radioactive units into wells to let workers identify places to break apart rock for a drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which frees oil and natural gas. Now Bloomberg reports that Halliburton workers have discovered that a lock on the container used to transport one such device has gone missing, along with the unit, after employees drove a truck from a site near Peco to a well south of Odessa and while the loss of radioactive rods occurs from time to time, it has been years since a device with americium-241/beryllium, the material in Halliburton's device, was misplaced in Texas. NRC spokeswoman Maureen Conley says the material would have to be in someone's physical possession for several hours for it to be considered harmful as teams comb the route between the two wellsites searching for the seven-inch tube, which is clearly marked with the words 'DANGER RADIOACTIVE' as well as a radiation warning symbol, "Halliburton strongly cautions members of the public that if they locate this source, they should not touch or handle it, stay a minimum of 25 feet away," and contact local law enforcement or the company's emergency hotline if they find the cylinder, says the company which is also offering a reward for information about the tube's whereabouts."
Better link (Score:5, Interesting)
while the loss of radioactive rods occurs from time to time
This is a better link
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/ [nrc.gov]
Its pretty interesting reading. I think I heard about it from RISKS digest maybe a decade ago. About a half dozen reports are filed every day. At least one will be interesting, or at least WTF worthy. The story about the weld radiographer getting the source stuck while he was up a ladder so he took the source out and wore it like a necklace as he went down the ladder a couple days ago is WTF worthy.
Re:From time to time? (Score:2, Interesting)
It is no big deal. *waves the jedi mind trick*
Seriously though, Halliburton's disasters must be measured on a different scale. Hell, they were involved in the Deepwater Horizon and got away with it. Do you think that a few rods of nuclear material worries them? The worst case is that they get a new government contract for building a nuclear bunker against terrorism.
I've worked with these before I think? (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't think the description of purpose is actually accurate. Pretty sure they're talking about a Radioactive Densometer used to measure fluid density, which is used at the surface and attached to pipes pumping fluid, and isn't lowered into a well or whatever. It's basically a section of pipe with a very small radioactive source on one side, and a detector across from it. The measured decay rate tells you the fluid density accurately (the denser the fluid, the more radiation is blocked). They're actually fairly harmless in terms of radiation levels, although it's still important to recover lost ones.
Re:Thoughts (Score:5, Interesting)
If the finder does not contact law enforcement, then I feel this issue is best left up to natural selection. First to nominate for a Darwin award.
Depending on exactly how the source is encapulated, it may well not work out so neatly. If mechanically damaged, Americium-241 could come out to play and get all over the place, including friends, family, and general passers-by who hardly did anything to deserve an award...
This thing isn't exactly an unalterable inventory item that just happens to do 1d6 radiation damage every hour it remains in a character's inventory.
, stay a minimum of 25 feet away.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Not just hydrofrac... (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyway, the field guys lost a radioactive source and couldn't find it. They thought it bounced out of an unsecured lead canister along a road somewhere.
They got their hand slapped for it but somewhere in the midwest there is a hot source laying by the road. Or was. Who knows if anyone ever found it.
These kinds of things are inexcusable because anyone who happens to find one and pick it up has their life changed. Cancer and death awaits if anyone spends any length of time with one of those sources. If a company cannot follow a checklist for handling one of those sources, they should not be allowed to use them.
Re:Thoughts (Score:2, Interesting)
Face facts...Halliburton probably sold the radioactive unit to the terrorists and a re now in the midst of a cover-up or a "blame some low-level field hand." I nominate Halliburton executives for the Death by Fire Ants Punishment - ahem I mean Award. I'll volunteer to pour honey all over the naked body of Dick Cheney and watch as the fire ants remove that scumbag from the the planet.