A century of oil and gas exploration in Albania: Assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs)

Abstract

Because potential Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) generated from oil and gas extractions in Albania have been disposed without regulatory criteria in many decades, an extensive survey in one of the most productive regions (Vlora-Elbasan) has been performed. Among 52 gammaray spectrometry measurements of soil, oil-sand, sludge, produced water and crude oil samples, we discover that relatively low activity concentrations of 226 to be 20 ± 5 Bq/kg, 25 ± 10 Bq/kg, 25 ± 9 Bq/kg and 326 ± 83 Bq/kg, respectively. Based on these arguments, the future radiological assessment of other fields in the region can be strategically planned focusing on the oil-sands from molasses sediments. No disequilibrium in the 228 Ra decay segment has been observed in soil, sludge and oil-sand samples within the standard uncertainties. After a detailed radiological characterization of the four main oilfields, we can conclude that the outdoor absorbed dose rate never exceeds the worldwide population weighted average absorbed dose rate in outdoor air from terrestrial gamma radiation.

Inventory of Occupational Risk from Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) in Soil Samples of the Coastal Region of Nigeria After Six Decades of Oil and Gas Exploration

“…The Coastal Region of Nigeria where oil and gas exploration started in 1957, is characterized by the sedimentary rock of the Niger Delta Basin which is mainly Cenozoic in age 14 . Most sedimentary mineral deposits such as limestone, shale and hydrocarbon are associated with radionuclides like uranium, thorium and their progenies 15,16 . The drilling of oil and gas in the region is through the use of a beam pump, which utilizes the pressure of the gas in the reservoir, pressuring the oil up and into the well 16 .…”

“…Most sedimentary mineral deposits such as limestone, shale and hydrocarbon are associated with radionuclides like uranium, thorium and their progenies 15,16 . The drilling of oil and gas in the region is through the use of a beam pump, which utilizes the pressure of the gas in the reservoir, pressuring the oil up and into the well 16 . A similar process of crude oil extraction that is being proposed and may soon be deployed for oil drilling includes water and steam injections, shale gas extraction like fracking 16 .…”

“…The drilling of oil and gas in the region is through the use of a beam pump, which utilizes the pressure of the gas in the reservoir, pressuring the oil up and into the well 16 . A similar process of crude oil extraction that is being proposed and may soon be deployed for oil drilling includes water and steam injections, shale gas extraction like fracking 16 . All these crude oil and gas exploration techniques are the probable cause of the increase in radioactive materials at the surface, as part of the flow back.…”

Radiation Survey Around Crude Oil Pumping Stations in the Sudan

“…The NORMs produced by the oil and gas industry are residues that are enriched with the radium and radon isotopes that originated from the uranium and thorium in the reservoir rocks [13].…”

Soil radioactivity levels, radiological maps and risk assessment for the state of Kuwait

“…However, even with this artificial utilization of radioactivity, up to 85% of the typical human annual exposure dose received by the world population arises from naturally occurring radioactive material, NORM (WNA, 2011). Industrial processes involving NORM can also carry an associated radiological risk and therefore identifying, quantifying, evaluating and managing any such risks are important (Baeza et al, 2011;G. Xhixha et al, 2015).…”