Event Notification Report for February 10, 2007
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
02/09/2007 - 02/10/2007
EVENT NUMBERS
43160
Other Nuclear Material
Event Number: 43160
Rep Org: TRACERCO
Licensee: TRACERCO
Region: 4
City: PASADENA State: TX
County:
License #: LO3096
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: NORMAN LANIER
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Licensee: TRACERCO
Region: 4
City: PASADENA State: TX
County:
License #: LO3096
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: NORMAN LANIER
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Notification Date: 02/10/2007
Notification Time: 13:45 [ET]
Event Date: 02/10/2007
Event Time: 05:30 [CST]
Last Update Date: 02/10/2007
Notification Time: 13:45 [ET]
Event Date: 02/10/2007
Event Time: 05:30 [CST]
Last Update Date: 02/10/2007
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(ii) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(ii) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X
Person (Organization):
REBECCA NEASE (R4)
WILLIAM RULAND (NMSS)
CHUCK CAIN (R4)
REBECCA NEASE (R4)
WILLIAM RULAND (NMSS)
CHUCK CAIN (R4)
MISSING TANTALUM-182 SOURCE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO
The following information was provided by Tracerco and BP Pipelines of North America:
A pipeline from the Atlantis Platform, 5,000 feet down, was being dewatered with a foam pig. During the process the remotely operated vehicle lost control of the pig causing the pig to surface (normally the pig has negative buoyancy). The pig is currently in the Gulf of Mexico and was last seen in the Grand (Green?) Canyon Block 645, with coordinates of: Latitude 27 degrees 14' 4" North and Longitude 90 degrees 14' 4" West. The pig is 16 inches in diameter and 52 inches long. There is a silver wire inside of the pig which has a Tantalum-182 source. The total activity of the Tantalum-182 when new was 6.25 milliCuries. The source is about 30 days old. The instrumentation is used to track the pig from the platform to the Sub C Collection point. BP Pipelines North America are actively searching for the pig. BP Pipelines North America said that the foam pig will be difficult to find because it will be floating just above or below the surface and that the foam pig will eventually sink.
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.
The following information was provided by Tracerco and BP Pipelines of North America:
A pipeline from the Atlantis Platform, 5,000 feet down, was being dewatered with a foam pig. During the process the remotely operated vehicle lost control of the pig causing the pig to surface (normally the pig has negative buoyancy). The pig is currently in the Gulf of Mexico and was last seen in the Grand (Green?) Canyon Block 645, with coordinates of: Latitude 27 degrees 14' 4" North and Longitude 90 degrees 14' 4" West. The pig is 16 inches in diameter and 52 inches long. There is a silver wire inside of the pig which has a Tantalum-182 source. The total activity of the Tantalum-182 when new was 6.25 milliCuries. The source is about 30 days old. The instrumentation is used to track the pig from the platform to the Sub C Collection point. BP Pipelines North America are actively searching for the pig. BP Pipelines North America said that the foam pig will be difficult to find because it will be floating just above or below the surface and that the foam pig will eventually sink.
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.