[ RadSafe ] Radioactivity and Fracking

Doug Aitken JAitken at slb.com
Mon Jan 23 08:06:55 CST 2012


Here is a quickie:
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/01/04/am-professor-fracturing-fears-are-mostly-unfounded/

and a bit more to keep you in the mood!:
http://www.api.org/policy/exploration/hydraulicfracturing/index.cfm#primer

http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com/Pages/information.aspx?utm_source=OPM&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Paid_Search&gclid=CLXsgaGo5q0CFYQLtAodY3EIVQ

Regards
Doug

Doug Aitken
QHSE Advisor, Schlumberger D&M Operations Support
Cell Phone: 713-562-8585
(alternate e-mail: doug.aitken at slb.com )
Mail: c/o Therese Wigzell,
Schlumberger,
Drilling & Measurements HQ,
300 Schlumberger Drive, MD15,
Sugar Land, Texas 77478




-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Maury
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 1:40 AM
To: Dan W McCarn
Cc: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radioactivity and Fracking

Would one of you folks suggest or provide a link to one good educational article about the purpose, methods, and applications of fracturing? I daily send articles, my prejudices, and so on about science, geopolitics, humor, climate, and items as well from radsafe and from riskanal to about 80 family and friends. I'd like to spread some good honest educational words about fracturing that will also alleviate my own endless curiosity. Thanks for your help.
Maury&Dog      maurysis at peoplepc.com

=======================================
On 1/23/2012 12:54 AM, Dan McCarn wrote:
> Good Evening Mike:
>
> I used a caveat - 'natural' but I seriously doubt if cuttings or 
> sludges would suffice as a proppant. These are usually pretty well 
> classified or engineered materials since the objective is to 'prop-up'
> induced fractures in the target formation.  This requires several 
> engineering characteristics such as hardness, sphericity and 
> relatively uniform size.
>
> I imagine that the industry is looking hard at this issue just now.
>
> > From Schlumberger -
>
> proppant
> 1.  n.  [Well Workover and Intervention, Shale Gas ]    ID: 4985
>
> Sized particles mixed with fracturing fluid to hold fractures open 
> after a hydraulic fracturing treatment. In addition to naturally 
> occurring sand grains, man-made or specially engineered proppants, 
> such as resin-coated sand or high-strength ceramic materials like 
> sintered bauxite, may also be used. Proppant materials are carefully 
> sorted for size and sphericity to provide an efficient conduit for 
> production of fluid from the reservoir to the wellbore.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/76ek4xy
>
>
> Dan ii
>
> On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 11:13 PM, Cowie, Michael I 
> <michael.cowie at aramco.com>  wrote:
>> Depends what the material is Dan. If it is scale or sludge from oil production it is not normal to find associated uranium - this usually stays in the reservoir formation. Your observations would be correct if it was drill cuttings.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu 
>> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Dan McCarn
>> Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 9:06 AM
>> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing 
>> List
>> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radioactivity and Fracking
>>
>> Hi Group:
>>
>> Since the material is most likely natural, I make the assumption that 
>> the radium is in secular equilibrium with uranium. In order to place 
>> these quantities in perspective, the equivalent amount of natural 
>> uranium was calculated in mg / kg (ppm).  For the regulatory limit of 
>> 5 pCi/g Ra ==
>> 0.185 Bq/g this would be the equivalent of 7.32 mg/kg U-Nat.  This is slightly less than the typical granites in Wyoming which average about 10 mg/kg U-Nat.
>>
>> For the sand that would correspond to 45 pCi/g == 1.665 Bq/g, it is 
>> equivalent to 66 mg/kg (ppm) U-Nat. (6.59 x 10^-5 g). This could be 
>> from a moderately enriched granite or perhaps a heavy-mineral 
>> enriched natural sand containing zircon.  Pure zircon sands contain 
>> from 150 - 300 mg/kg U-Nat == 100 - 200 pCi/kg almost always in 
>> secular equilibrium with
>> radium-226 progeny.
>>
>> The anatectic granites mined for uranium in the Namib Desert in SE 
>> Africa
>> (Namibia) are about 100-125 mg/kg (ppm) U-Nat.
>>
>> The Chattanooga (USA), Pierre (USA)&  Kolm (Sweden) shales are about 100 mg/kg (ppm) U-Nat.
>>
>> These are only observations.
>>
>> Dan ii
>>
>> Dan W McCarn, Geologist
>> 108 Sherwood Blvd
>> Los Alamos, NM 87544-3425
>> +1-505-672-2014 (Home - New Mexico)
>> +1-505-670-8123 (Mobile - New Mexico)
>> HotGreenChile at gmail.com (Private email) HotGreenChile at gmail dot 
>> com
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 8:24 PM, Lawrence Jacobi<  rjacobi at jacobiconsulting.net>  wrote:
>>
>>> There has been an interesting series of articles in the Williston 
>>> North Dakota newspaper regarding radioactivity from oilfield 
>>> operations.  My impression is that the reporters have tried to write 
>>> balanced articles, but the stories have been replete with mild 
>>> hysteria and misinterpretation of the data.
>>>
>>> Here's the latest:
>>> http://www.willistonherald.com/news/radiation-what-does-it-mean/arti
>>> cl e_3721c300-4485-11e1-9e29-0019bb2963f4.html
>>>
>>> ***************************************
>>> Lawrence R. Jacobi, Jr., P.E., J.D.
>>> Jacobi Consulting
>>> 10807 Bonaparte Bend
>>> Austin, TX 78750-2801
>>> (512) 656-4765 cell
>>> (512) 335-4006 fax
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
>>>
>>> Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and 
>>> understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
>>> http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html
>>>
>>> For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other 
>>> settings
>>> visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
>>
>> Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and 
>> understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: 
>> http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html
>>
>> For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings 
>> visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> The contents of this email, including all related responses, files and attachments transmitted with it (collectively referred to as "this Email"), are intended solely for the use of the individual/entity to whom/which they are addressed, and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. This Email may not be disclosed or forwarded to anyone else without authorization from the originator of this Email. If you have received this Email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete all copies from your system. Please note that the views or opinions presented in this Email are those of the author and may not necessarily represent those of Saudi Aramco. The recipient should check this Email and any attachments for the presence of any viruses. Saudi Aramco accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus/error transmitted by this Email.
>> _______________________________________________
>> You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
>>
>> Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and 
>> understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: 
>> http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html
>>
>> For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings 
>> visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
>
> Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and 
> understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: 
> http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html
>
> For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings 
> visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2012.0.1901 / Virus Database: 2109/4759 - Release Date: 
> 01/22/12
>
>
>
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu



More information about the RadSafe mailing list