Event Notification Report for January 31, 2006
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
01/30/2006 - 01/31/2006
EVENT NUMBERS
42298
General Information or Other
Event Number: 42298
Rep Org: NEW MEXICO RAD CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS
Region: 4
City: EUNICE State: NM
County: LEA
License #: WL-241-33
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: WALTER MEDINA
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN
Licensee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS
Region: 4
City: EUNICE State: NM
County: LEA
License #: WL-241-33
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: WALTER MEDINA
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN
Notification Date: 02/01/2006
Notification Time: 19:45 [ET]
Event Date: 01/31/2006
Event Time: 09:50 [MST]
Last Update Date: 04/18/2007
Notification Time: 19:45 [ET]
Event Date: 01/31/2006
Event Time: 09:50 [MST]
Last Update Date: 04/18/2007
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
AGREEMENT STATE - MATERIAL LOSS OF CONTROL
The State provided the following information via email:
"[The] RSO for Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Inc. (NM license number WL 241-33), reported at 9:50 a.m. on January 31, 2006 that Baker Hughes temporarily lost control of a 2 Ci Cs-137 sealed source after completion of a job two to three miles south of Eunice, NM in Lea County. Upon completion of the job, the crew from the Midland, TX facility secured the 18 Ci Am/Be source in its shipping container and departed the job site, leaving the unshielded Cesium source on the ground.
On returning to Midland, the crew discovered the Cesium source was not in the vehicle and they immediately notified Baker Hughes personnel in Hobbs, NM. Hobbs personnel located, recovered, and secured the source approximately 2 hours after the Midland crew left the site. Preliminary information indicated there was no drilling going on at the job site when Hobbs personnel recovered the source and it was not known if any individuals received a dose.
A follow-up telephone call to [the RSO] today indicates non-badged individuals were working in the area of the unshielded source. Initial calculations show the highest dose to any of these individuals to be less than 70 mRem.
The New Mexico Radiation Control Bureau is continuing the investigation of the incident and will provide updated information as it becomes available. A visit to the licensee's Hobbs, NM office is planned."
** UPDATE FROM MEDINA VIA EMAIL TO KNOKE AT 12:45 EDT ON 4/18/07
"Here is the update on EN 42298 (NMED item# 060083/Baker Hughes) for the dose to members of the public. Initially, Baker Hughes had calculated 68 mRem as the highest dose to a member of the public, our calculation based on the information they provided was 70 mRem. Their final report indicates that after characterization of the meter from a Radium field to a Cesium field, the maximum exposure is 60 mRem. I have attached the final report from Baker Hughes regarding the Cs-137 source left behind at a jobsite in Eunice, NM. The NM Radiation Control Bureau found the response from Baker Hughes and the corrective actions to be adequate."
Notified R4DO (Bywater) and FSME (Morell)
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Less than Cat 3 event.
Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Less than Cat 3"
The State provided the following information via email:
"[The] RSO for Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Inc. (NM license number WL 241-33), reported at 9:50 a.m. on January 31, 2006 that Baker Hughes temporarily lost control of a 2 Ci Cs-137 sealed source after completion of a job two to three miles south of Eunice, NM in Lea County. Upon completion of the job, the crew from the Midland, TX facility secured the 18 Ci Am/Be source in its shipping container and departed the job site, leaving the unshielded Cesium source on the ground.
On returning to Midland, the crew discovered the Cesium source was not in the vehicle and they immediately notified Baker Hughes personnel in Hobbs, NM. Hobbs personnel located, recovered, and secured the source approximately 2 hours after the Midland crew left the site. Preliminary information indicated there was no drilling going on at the job site when Hobbs personnel recovered the source and it was not known if any individuals received a dose.
A follow-up telephone call to [the RSO] today indicates non-badged individuals were working in the area of the unshielded source. Initial calculations show the highest dose to any of these individuals to be less than 70 mRem.
The New Mexico Radiation Control Bureau is continuing the investigation of the incident and will provide updated information as it becomes available. A visit to the licensee's Hobbs, NM office is planned."
** UPDATE FROM MEDINA VIA EMAIL TO KNOKE AT 12:45 EDT ON 4/18/07
"Here is the update on EN 42298 (NMED item# 060083/Baker Hughes) for the dose to members of the public. Initially, Baker Hughes had calculated 68 mRem as the highest dose to a member of the public, our calculation based on the information they provided was 70 mRem. Their final report indicates that after characterization of the meter from a Radium field to a Cesium field, the maximum exposure is 60 mRem. I have attached the final report from Baker Hughes regarding the Cs-137 source left behind at a jobsite in Eunice, NM. The NM Radiation Control Bureau found the response from Baker Hughes and the corrective actions to be adequate."
Notified R4DO (Bywater) and FSME (Morell)
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Less than Cat 3 event.
Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Less than Cat 3"