Lcastello2025
Petroleum
- Mar 8, 2023
- 3
Dear community.
I have been investigating in some components, that can come with reservoir fluids in oil and gas operations, which can reach the surface causing operational issues in topside installations, including scaling which will ended up in piping and equipment clogging. as an example, the Barium sulphate, as barite or formation promoted by Ba+2 + SO4-2 (in formation water dissolution), could be present together with Strontium, iron, calcium, sulfur or other components and as fluids mixed together with pressure and temperature changes will result in a kind of hard composite which is settling down little by little as scale, obstructing pipes or equipment if the sedimentation is not stopped. It can be avoided dosing descaling chemicals into the streams to keep these components in water dissolution, however, when the hard deposit is formed, it is very hard to remove, and it is a big operational issue dealing to clean and remove from the systems. Another associated issue is that this composite has an inherent radioactivity, and that is why it is classified as NORM (Normally Occurring Radioactive Material), because Barium and strontium presence. Depending on the level and kind of radiations it will represent a personnel health risk in dealing with this composite at the moment it is formed and seeking the way to remove. In an operation case was taken a sample of such composite and lab test resulted in 75 MICRO Rads/hr of radiation, I am in doubt how to interpret this result, is it high? is it harmful in human body? based on the measurements units, I know it could be expressed in 3 forms:
Emitted by a radioactive material: (Curies and Becquerels)
Amount of energy absorbed by mass of material (rad or gray)
Biological damage in human body (rem or Sieverts-depends on type of radiation).
and then using the below equivalents converted to mSV per year, the results are:
For X-rays and Gamma rays, 1 rad = 1 rem= 10 mSv.
For Neutrons, 1 rad= 5 to 20 rem (depending on energy level)= 50-200 mSV
For Alpha radiations (helium-4 nuclei), 1 rad= 20 rem=200 mSV.
If the 75 micro Rads/hr, was determined as X-ray and Gamma, the maximum value per year will be 6.57 mSv.
If the 75 micro Rads/hr, was determined as alpha radiations, then the maximum value per year will be 131.4 mSv.
Conversion factor is used to translate the rad or gray into other units such as rem (for Radiation Equivalent Man) or Sieverts which are used to express the biological impact.
some literature says "
There are limits in allowable exposure to ionizing radiation if it is received as an occupational exposure (part of someone's job). In Europe, the limit is 20 mSv per year, and in the United States the limit is 50 mSv per year. There are no limits of radiation when used as part of medical care”
two things:
is it correct the unit conversion as I got it?
is it a hazard for biological human body?
Many thanks for your thoughts
I have been investigating in some components, that can come with reservoir fluids in oil and gas operations, which can reach the surface causing operational issues in topside installations, including scaling which will ended up in piping and equipment clogging. as an example, the Barium sulphate, as barite or formation promoted by Ba+2 + SO4-2 (in formation water dissolution), could be present together with Strontium, iron, calcium, sulfur or other components and as fluids mixed together with pressure and temperature changes will result in a kind of hard composite which is settling down little by little as scale, obstructing pipes or equipment if the sedimentation is not stopped. It can be avoided dosing descaling chemicals into the streams to keep these components in water dissolution, however, when the hard deposit is formed, it is very hard to remove, and it is a big operational issue dealing to clean and remove from the systems. Another associated issue is that this composite has an inherent radioactivity, and that is why it is classified as NORM (Normally Occurring Radioactive Material), because Barium and strontium presence. Depending on the level and kind of radiations it will represent a personnel health risk in dealing with this composite at the moment it is formed and seeking the way to remove. In an operation case was taken a sample of such composite and lab test resulted in 75 MICRO Rads/hr of radiation, I am in doubt how to interpret this result, is it high? is it harmful in human body? based on the measurements units, I know it could be expressed in 3 forms:
Emitted by a radioactive material: (Curies and Becquerels)
Amount of energy absorbed by mass of material (rad or gray)
Biological damage in human body (rem or Sieverts-depends on type of radiation).
and then using the below equivalents converted to mSV per year, the results are:
For X-rays and Gamma rays, 1 rad = 1 rem= 10 mSv.
For Neutrons, 1 rad= 5 to 20 rem (depending on energy level)= 50-200 mSV
For Alpha radiations (helium-4 nuclei), 1 rad= 20 rem=200 mSV.
If the 75 micro Rads/hr, was determined as X-ray and Gamma, the maximum value per year will be 6.57 mSv.
If the 75 micro Rads/hr, was determined as alpha radiations, then the maximum value per year will be 131.4 mSv.
Conversion factor is used to translate the rad or gray into other units such as rem (for Radiation Equivalent Man) or Sieverts which are used to express the biological impact.
some literature says "
There are limits in allowable exposure to ionizing radiation if it is received as an occupational exposure (part of someone's job). In Europe, the limit is 20 mSv per year, and in the United States the limit is 50 mSv per year. There are no limits of radiation when used as part of medical care”
two things:
is it correct the unit conversion as I got it?
is it a hazard for biological human body?
Many thanks for your thoughts
