Vol. 6, No 1, 2009 pp. 11 - 19
UDC 551.463:665.62
OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROFILE OF OIL
AND GAS FACILITIES DURING PRODUCTION AND
OFF- PRODUCTION PERIODS IN UGHELLI, NIGERIA
G.O. Avwiri1, Y. E. Chad-Umoren1,
P.I. Eyinna1, E.O. Agbalagba2
1Department of Physics, University
of Port Harcourt, P.M.B 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2Bayelsa State College of Arts and
Science, Yenagoa, Nigeria
Abstract. The occupational ionization radiation profile of 30 locations
of oil and gas facilities in Ughelli oil and gas industrial area, Nigeria,
is investigated during both production and off-production periods using
a Digilert Nuclear Radiation Monitor and a Geographical Positioning System
(GPS). Mean radiation levels during production periods range from 15.50±
1.65μR/h (0.026±0.003mSv/wk) to 19.14±3.16μR/h (0.32±0.005mS/wk) and
from 13.38±1.69μR/h (0.023±0.003mSv/wk) to 16.29±2.60μR/h (0.027±0.004mSv/wk)
during the off-production periods. The highest level of 26.00±0.5.1μR/h
(0.044±0.009mSv/wk) was recorded at the Kokori oil field during production.
It is therefore observed that the radiation levels of this oil and work
environments are higher during production periods than during off-production
periods. Furthermore, the values for both periods are all within the safe
radiation limit of 0.02mSv/wk as recommended by the UNSCEAR, but the exposure
rates are far above the standard background level of 13.0μR/hr indicating
a measure of radiation health hazard in these locations.
Key Words: Occupational radiation, oil and gas facilities
RADIJACIONI PROFIL NAFTNIH I GASNIH POSTROJENJA
TOKOM
I NAKON PERIODA PROZVODNJE U MESTU UGHELLI,
NIGERIJA
RadiJacioni profil ukupno 30 lokacija sa naftnim i gasnim postrojenjima
u industrijskoj regiji Ughelli, Nigerija, proučavan je tokom i nakon perioda
prozivodnje uz pomoć Digilert monitora za nuklearnu radijaciju i Geografskog
pozicionog sistema (GPS). Srednje vredosti radijacije tokom perioda proizvodnje
kreću se od 15.50± 1.65μR/h (0.026±0.003mSv/wk) do 19.14±3.16μR/h
(0.32±0.005mS/wk) i od 13.38±1.69μR/h (0.023±0.003mSv/wk) do 16.29±2.60μR/h
(0.027±0.004mSv/wk) tokom perioda nakon proizvodnje. Najveća vrednost
26.00±0.5.1μR/h (0.044±0.009mSv/wk) zabeležena je na Kokori naftnom
polju tokom proizvodnje. Zbog toga se može zaključiti da su nivoi radijacije
na ovom naftnom i radnom polju veći tokom perioda prozvodnje nego tokom
perioda kada je prozvodnja obustavljena. Dalje, vrednosti za oba perioda
su u okviru bezbednih vrednosti od 0.02mSv/wk prema preporukama UNSCEAR,
ali je stepen izlaganja znatno veći od standardnog nivoa od 13.0μR/hr
što je indikacija opasnog uticaja radijacije na zdravlje u ovim oblastima.
Ključne reči: radijacija na poslu, naftna i gasna postrojenja
