Re: crosspost: OEM: Carcinoid tumour of thymus / radioisotope...

[bill rose at WAI-FYI <bill_rose_at_WAI-FYI#WALS#WG1@waii.com>]

Radioactive sources that are used in cased hole logging
services are Special Form Sealed Source (SFSS), or Sealed
source (SS).  Cased hole logging services circa 1968 to 1978 normally had the 
following type sources in inventory:

Isotope                           Activity             Form

Americium-241/Beryllium (AmBe)   3 to 5 Curie  .       SFSS

AmBe Neutron Calibrator          200 - 400 Milli-curie  SFSS

Radium 226 Gamma Calibrator      2.5 - 50 Micro-curie   SS

Cesium 137 Cement Top Log        50 - 100 MiIl-icurie   SSFS

Iodine 131 Tracer Studies        10 - 50 MIlli-curie   Liquid

Iridium 192 (seldom used)        10  Milli-curie       Liquid

Cesium sources (2-3 curie) were not normally used by
cased hole logging companies. However from 1954 to 1988 I was
employed by a cased hole logging company, McCullough Tool
Co./ NL McCullough that was attempting to enter the openhole
logging market.  A 3 Curie Cs-137 SFSS was used by McCulough
for formation density logging in the late 50s and early 60s.

I hope that people tuned in on radsafe do not think the well
logging industry as a whole is or has ever been as haphazard
about radiation handling procedures as described by Doctor
Iselin.

Ex-McCullough employees have formed an OLD GEEZERS CLUB that
meets every October to share fried fish or Texas style
BAR-B-Q and maybe a little suds if so inclined, and I fail
to see any chronic outbreak of malignancy among my old
friends and acquaintances when we get together at these
meetings.  Many of these people like my self have worked on
well logging units for many years.

One that does puzzle me about this is, how did the gentleman
become a Well Logging Engineer at the age of at the age of
19, or did I goof on my math?


Bill Rose
Radiation Safety Officer
Western Atlas Logging Services
713 972 5681