[ RadSafe ] Geology Type Question

[Dan McCarn]

Hi Mike:

Uranium has 2 common valence states in geologic media: +4 and +6; chemically reduced (+4) and oxidized (+6) which have 8 (or so) orders of magnitude differences in aqueous solubility. The reduced phase - commonly uraninite (UO2) - has far less aqueous solubility than the oxidized phase. Oil & gas deposits are, by definition, methanogenic and strongly reducing, thus little or no soluble uranium is present in connate waters. 

Thorium has very little aqueous solubility. 

So what ends-up on pipes as NORM are the decay products. 


Dan W McCarn
108 Sherwood Blvd
Los Alamos, NM 87544 USA
+1-505-670-8123
Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 22, 2016, at 00:46, Cowie, Michael I <michael.cowie at aramco.com> wrote:
> 
> Classification: Saudi Aramco: Company General Use
> 
> 
> Looking for some assistance or pointing in the correct direction. I am interested to the reason/s why Uranium and Thorium are not seen in NORM associated with oil/gas production. Also K40 is it possible to enhance its concentrations by such processes that are used in oil/gas recovery?
> 
> Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Mike
> 
> This email has been classified as Saudi Aramco: Company General Use by Cowie, Michael I on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 10:46:14 AM.
> 
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