THE APPROACH TAKEN TO THE TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE SOURCES WITHIN A MULTI-NATIONAL OIL SERVICES COMPANY

Baker Hughes INTEQ, a division of Baker Hughes Incorporated, provides drilling and associated services to the global oil and gas industry. A major product line uses sealed radioactive sources to obtain real-time evaluation of the formation being drilled by use of a technique called 'measurement while drilling' (MWD). INTEQ have provided MWD services in more than 50 countries from its major support bases in USA, UK, Norway, Nigeria, Dubai and Singapore. An MWD operation on a land or offshore drilling rig involves the use of a 185 GBq Am-241/Be neutron source and a 74 GBq Cs-137 gamma source. The company's operations require frequent shipments of these and other radioactive sources in Type A packages by road, sea and air between the support bases and to and from the drilling rigs. INTEQ undertakes more than 1000 shipments of these radioactive sources every year, with more than 250 involving the transport of Class 7 substances across international borders. This paper is aimed at radiation protection professionals with an interest in the transport of Class 7 materials and assumes no prior knowledge of oilfield operations and the use of radioactive sources in drilling formation evaluation. The objective is to inform a wider audience of the nature of the work being done and to report the experience of Baker Hughes INTEQ in attempting to ensure a high standard of radiation protection in transporting radioactive materials. INTEQ's aim is to ensure continuing safe and reliable shipment of radioactive sources, in a manner which is fully compliant with the international modal requirements and the local laws and regulations in place in the many countries in which this transport is undertaken. This paper provides details of the frequency and nature of the national and international shipments undertaken and summarises the procedures put in place by INTEQ to ensure the reliable and safe shipment of its Class 7 materials. It explains in detail the steps taken to comply with the regulatory requirements in the design of the Type A packages and their marking and labelling. The paper provides a detailed description of the design and performance of the overpack developed by INTEQ to transport its logging sources and to enable their safe storage at the rig site. The paper concludes with a discussion of several of the problems and complications which have been encountered and the lessons which can be learned from these by other consignors, carriers and by regulatory agencies involved in overseeing Class 7 shipments.