Or. Admin. Code § 632-010-0015

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 12, December 1, 2024

Section 632-010-0015 - Down Hole Loss and Decommissioning of a Radioactive Source

(1) A permittee must notify the department within 2 hours of the down hole loss of a radioactive source (source or radioactive source). The notice must include the date of loss and location (county, survey name, abstract number, lease name, well API number, distances from survey boundaries, and Lambert Coordinates).

(2) Procedures for recovery of the lost radioactive source must be furnished to the department, and the radioactive source may not be declared decommissioned until all reasonable effort has been expended to retrieve the radioactive source, as determined by the department.

(3) Decommission procedures.

(a) Wells with decommissioned radioactive sources must be mechanically equipped to prevent either accidental or intentional mechanical disintegration of the radioactive source.

(A) Radioactive sources decommissioned in the bottom of a well must be covered with a cement plug, dyed a standard color red iron oxide at least 100 feet thick, on top of which a whipstock or other approved deflection device is set. The dye is to alert a reentry drilling engineer prior to encountering the source.

(B) Upon decommissioning a well where a radioactive source has been cemented in place behind a casing string above total depth, a standard color-dyed cement plug must be placed opposite the decommissioned source and a whipstock or other approved deflection device placed on top of the plug. The standard color-dyed cement plug must have a minimum 100-foot cement plug set opposite the source, extending at least 50 feet above and 50 feet below the source.

(C) In the event a permittee finds that after expending a reasonable effort it is not possible to decommission the source as prescribed in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this section, the permittee may seek department approval for an alternate decommission procedure.

(D) If the hole is later sidetracked above the source, the sidetracked hole must be controlled to ensure that it is at least 15 feet away from the source.

(b) Upon permanent decommission of any well in which a radioactive source is left in the hole, and after removal of the wellhead, a permanent plaque must be attached to the top of the casing left in the hole in such a manner that reentry cannot be accomplished without disturbing the plaque. This plaque will serve as a visual warning that a radioactive source has been decommissioned in place in the well. The plaque must contain the trefoil radiation symbol with a radioactive warning and must be constructed of a long-lasting material such as monel or brass, in accordance with specifications established by the department. Additionally, the plaque must be labeled with the well name, API number, and "Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries."

(c) A plugging report must be filed with the department and must identify the well as a decommissioned radioactive source well and include a signed affidavit stating that all plugging reports are accurate and comply with OAR 632-010-0015.

(d) The permittee must erect, under supervision of the department, a standardized permanent surface marker as a visual warning showing that the well contains a radioactive source. This marker must contain the following information: well name, API number, surface location, name of the permittee, name of the lease, the source or material decommissioned in the well, the total depth of the well, the depth at which the source is decommissioned, the plug-back depth, the date of the decommission of the source, the activity of the source, and a warning not to drill below the plug-back depth;

(4) The department will maintain a list of all decommissioned radioactive source wells.

Or. Admin. Code § 632-010-0015

GMI 4-1985, f. & ef. 11-20-85; GMI 6-1990, f. & cert. ef. 12-5-90; GMI 2-1995, f. & cert. ef. 3-10-95; DGMI 1-2013, f. & cert. ef. 3-21-13

Stat. Auth.: ORS 520

Stats. Implemented: ORS 520.095