Costs of Managing NORM

1
Costs of Managing NORM

• Brett Young

2
Infrastructure

• Replacement of contaminated equipment
• Xmas trees, esps, tubulars, valves, pumps
• Dedicated NORM Storage facility
• Interim storage areas (Other locations)
• Decontamination facility (fixed/mobile)
• Long term disposal options
• (Shallow burial/deep well/bioremediation)
• Transportation of contaminated equipment

3
Administration

• Specifications e.g. PDO SP 1170
• Guidelines or Local Rules
• Development/Review of NORM mgt system
• Review and renewal of contracts (V.o.C.)
• Hoists/rigs, pigging, tank/vessel cleaning, plant
  maintenance, NORM WTF Management
• Contractors implementing Corporate NORM Mgt
  system into their HSE mgt systems
• System Audits/inspections (Contract Holder and
  Company self assessments/audits)

4
Identification, Assessment and Control, Recovery

• NORM meters - 3 types required
• Each asset various contractors
• Activity Analysis e.g. sludge/sands/wax
• PPE
• Medical surveillance

5
Human Resources

• CRFP or SRPS
• RPS
• RPTs
• External consultants e.g. RPA
• Training
• 5000 Awareness _at_ 1 hour 5000 hrs
• 200 RPT _at_ 4 hours 800 hrs
• 20 RPS _at_ 2-3 days 480 hrs
• Total 5880 hrs
• or 735 days

6
Examples

• Production losses
• Well head closed for 2 months (150m3/day)
• Well closed for 3 weeks (300 m3/day)
• Hoist and camp moved
• Tanks not emptied for nine years
• Known to contain NORM
• Then delays with NORM storage facility
• Confusion as to how to transport/store the sludge
• Unable to collect sample prior to emptying tank
  contents

7
Hidden Costs

• Meetings/Correspondence
• Radiation Advisory Committee
• Emails/phone calls/Advice and assistance
• Morale - fear of exposure, uncertainty
• Failing to comply with systems
• Legal Responsibility Moral issues
• Health of Workforce
• Occupational Illnesses (lung cancer)
• Loss of income earner
• Reputation