PDO NORM Storage Facilities
Ahmed Al-Sabahi
Corporate Environmental Advisor
PDO NORM Storage Facilities
PDO Has two Storage facilities:
Zualayah Storage area
Bahja Storage Facility
Storage of Radioactive Materials
SP-1170
All NORM contaminated items or materials must be taken
to the PDO designated storage site in Zauliyah as soon
as reasonably practicable. The NORM storage area
must comply with the following:
– The NORM storage areas must be protected with proper fencing
and security so that uncontrolled entry is not possible.
– There must be proper signage (pictorial and written in English
and Arabic) around the fence so that the hazards are understood
by everybody.
– A contour of dose rates for the site shall be available through the
supervisor.
– People who are given access to the site are briefed on the
location of hazards.
– The key for access to the site must only be issued to authorised
personnel and must be signed out and back into the custodian’s
control.
– The dose rate outside at the fence of the storage facility shall not
exceed 2.5 1 Sv/hr.
Zauliyah Storage Facility
In 1994 a pig sample from Hasirah – Zauliyah
line was found to have radioactive reading
above background level
comprehensive survey for Naturally occurring
radioactive material (NORM) was conducted in
Zauliyah station
high contamination reading were observed and
materials.
This discovery lead to have a NORM storage
area in Zauliyah.
What we are storing in Zualiyah
Tubulars
Contaminated Sludge ( in Drums).
X-Mass trees
Cables
Scrap metals
The NORM radioactive material prior to being placed in
the storage were cemented and solidified, in thick
numbered steel drums and transferred to an enclosed,
top open wall (10L*15W*1.5H)
Zauliyah NORM Storage Yard
Contaminated
tubularsTotal number-2675
End capped and parts
that
are rusted covered
with polyethylene
NORM Storage Yard
6” Sahmah -Zualiyah line
10” -Zualiyah- Sahmah line
8” Hasirah -Zualiyah line
Drainage
pit
MAIN GATE
Water disposal line
TANK
Some of the drums in the Storage
Contaminated tubular from Zauliyah –5
Present NORM Storage Facility
AD Hoc facility set up in Zauliya
Does not meet required standards or
specifications
Licensed but threat of license revocation
exists due to standards breaches.
Increasing quantities have increased dose
rate to dangerous levels
RAC (Radiation Advisory Committee
Approved Setting up permanent facility
NORM DESIGNATED AREA-PDO
NORM CONTAMINATION =10 c/s
Dose Rate= 0.11-0.29Sv/h
RADON in Gas= 66Bq/m3
LEKHWAIR
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 400 c/s
Dose Rate = <0.33-0.47Sv/h
LKH-128L=660 Bq/g
LPS-T-2612=260Bq/g
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 0 c/s
Dose rate = <0.10Sv/h
RADON in Gas = 61 Bq/m3
MAF
Mazoon
DHULAIMA
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 20 c/s
DOSE RATE = 0.12-0.25Sv/h
RADON IN GAS - 66
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 60 c/s
Dose Rate= 0.22-0.27Sv/h
RADON in Gas= 435Bq/m3
NATIH
FAHUD
YIBAL
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 0 c/s
DOSE RATE
= <0.12 Sv/h
RADON IN GAS - 86Bq/M3
MUSALLIM
TAWF DAHM
NORM CONTAMINATION = 18c/s
DOSE RATE = 0.19-0.25mSv/h
RADON IN GAS =317 Bq/M3
SAIH
NUHAYDA
SAIH RAWL
G.NORTH
MABROUK
QALN-ALARM
BARIK
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 2500 c/s
DOSE RATE
= 1.99-2.40mSv/h
RADON IN GAS -44Bq/M3
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 60 c/s
Dose Rate= 0.25-0.50Sv/h
RADON in Gas= 107Bq/m3
AL-GHUBARA
NORM CONTAMINATION = 0 c/s
DOSE RATE = <0.12mSv/h
RADON IN GAS = 260Bq/m3
ZL-5 =592 Bq/g
ZAULIYAH
HASIRAH
ANZAUZ
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 20 c/s
DOSE RATE
= 0.15-0.20mSv/h
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 0 c/s
DOSE RATE = <0.12Sv/h
RADON IN GAS= 47Bq/m3
WAFRA
WAFRA-10 = 1110Bq/g
SUWAIHAT
HASIRAH- ZAULIYAH LINE-CONTAMINATED LINE
= 60
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 0 c/s
Dose Rate= <0.12Sv/h
RADON in Gas= 407Bq/m3
AL HUWAISAH
SAYYALA
c/s
BAHJA
SADAD
NORM CONTAMINATION = 60 c/s
DOSE RATE = 0.15-0.18Sv/h
MUKHAIZNA
NIMR
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 0 c/s
DOSE RATE = <0.12 Sv/h
RADON in Gas= 430Bq/m3
AMIN
NORM CONTAMINATION \
= 15 c/s
DOSE RATE
= 0.12Sv/h
RADON IN GAS
= 46Bq/m3
NORM CONTAMINATION = 30 c/s
Dose Rate= <0.18-0.24Sv/h
RADON in Gas = 53 Bq/m3
SIMSIM
AMAL
MARMUL
AL BURJ
RAHAB
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 20 c/s
DOSE RATE = 0.12-0.15Sv/h
RADON IN GAS = 43Bq/m3
QAHARIR
THULEILAT
NORM CONTAMINATION
= 20 c/s
Dose Rate = 0.12-0.25Sv/h
RADON in Gas - N/D
LE G E N D
NORM AREA
Specifications.
NORM contamination- reading 3 times the back-ground on the contamination meter is a NORM trace or NORM suspect area.NORM area - Area confirmed to have materials with quantitative radioactive level of more than 100 Bq/g
Dose rate-Accepted limit is below 2.5Sv/h PPE should be used when dose rate is above 7.5Sv/h.
NORM AREA
NORM TRACES
NORM TRACES
Contamination reading are back-ground subtracted
Note-NORM traces area,procedures must be followed
Oil pi pel in e
c/s-counts/seconds
Gas
Bq/g -Becquerel/ grams
Bq/m3-Becquel/ cubic meter
Sv/h - Sievart/hour
pi pe lin e
Issues Due to Lack of NORM
Storage
Many Tanks cleaning delayed
Mounting Inventory of NORM materials
Non compliance to HSE-MS or ISO-14001
Potentially serious HSE risks
Present NORM Inventory
Expected drums = 7000-8000
Down hole equipments = 40 – 50 pieces (about
4 meters length)
Tubing’s (3/4”) = 20000 pieces.
Pipes = 50 pieces (different sizes and lengths).
X- Mass trees = 10 pieces.
Cables ( down hole work) = 3000m
Suspected NORM Sludge = 1500m³
NORM Strategy
Storage Facilities in Bahja as per SP-1170
MRME constructing NORM disposal
facility in 2 years
Operation of facility to be managed by
Waste Management Contractor
Storage Facility Details
Total Area – 400m x 400m
All the area should be lined
Temporary storage for the incoming sludge
Toilets
Equipment & PPE Store
Drummed sludge only - (50 m x 25 m x 0.4 m
area)
Contaminated equipment (tubulars, esp’s) - (50 m
x 25 m area)
Scrap material/metals (50 m x 25 m area)
Dedicated concrete pits for storage of liquid/bulk
sludge from tanks (100m*100m*1m)
NORM facility
400 m
Entrance
* Concrete pad
100 m x 50 m
Rest Room
& Toilet
400 m
gate
2 Pits
Sludge Storage
Source Pit
100m*10m*1m depth
Scrap metal
Drum storage
50m x 25m
50m x 25m
Tublars
50m x 25m
Note:- * Not decided yet due to change in design basis. CSM32 to advise
Project Phases
Phase 1 project started in June & was completed in August
2004 as per agreed plan.
– Preparation of the site
– Fencing of the site
Phase 2 under construction and target completion Dec.’04.
– Two HDPE lined pits being built
– Tubular Area
– Metal Area
– Drum Yard
– Source Pit
– Toilets
Phase3 will be mid June 2005 and it will include
– for additional 4 pits & decontamination area
– Initiate development of decontamination facility
– Determine and agree on long term disposal options
for NORM
– Tender out the design for the decontamination facility
1st PIT
2nd PIT
TUBALAR AREA
METAL AREA
DRUMS YARD
SOURCE PIT
Rest Room