Subpart
1.
Agreement required.
A. A licensee may perform well logging with a
sealed source only after the licensee has a written agreement with the
employing well owner or operator. The written agreement must be kept for three
years after completion of the well logging operation. The agreement must
include the terms in items B to F and identify who will perform the
requirements in items B to F.
B. If
a sealed source becomes lodged in the well, a reasonable effort must be made to
recover it.
C. A person may not
attempt to recover a sealed source in a manner that, in the licensee's opinion,
could result in its rupture.
D. The
radiation monitoring required under part 4731.7240 must be performed.
E. If the environment, any equipment, or
personnel are contaminated with licensed material, they must be decontaminated
before release from the site or release for unrestricted use.
F. If the sealed source is classified as
irretrievable after reasonable efforts at recovery have been expended, the
following requirements must be implemented within 30 days:
(1) each irretrievable well logging source
must be immobilized and sealed in place with a cement plug;
(2) a means to prevent inadvertent intrusion
on the source must be set at some point in the well, unless the source is not
accessible to any subsequent drilling operations; and
(3) a permanent identification plaque,
constructed of a long-lasting material, such as stainless steel, brass, bronze,
or Monel, must be mounted at the surface of the well, unless mounting the
plaque is not practical. The size of the plaque must be at least seven inches
(17 cm) square and one-eighth inch (3 mm) thick. The plaque must contain:
(a) the word "CAUTION";
(b) the radiation symbol, except the color
requirement under part 4731.2300 need not be met;
(c) the date the source was
abandoned;
(d) the name of the well
owner or well operator, as appropriate;
(e) the well name and well identification
number or other designation;
(f)
identification of the sealed source by radionuclide and quantity;
(g) the depth of the source and depth to the
top of the plug; and
(h) an
appropriate warning, such as, "DO NOT REENTER THIS WELL."
Subp. 2.
Variance.
A licensee may apply, under part 4731.0200, for commissioner
approval, on a case-by-case basis, of proposed procedures to abandon an
irretrievable well logging source in a manner not otherwise authorized in
subpart 1, item F.
Subp. 3.
Exemption.
The written agreement between the licensee and the well owner
or operator is not required if the licensee and the well owner or operator are
part of the same corporate structure or otherwise similarly affiliated, but the
licensee must still comply with subpart 1, items B to F.
Notes
Minn. R. agency
144, ch. 4731, WELL LOGGING, pt.
4731.7030
29 SR
755
Statutory Authority: MS s
144.1202;
144.1203
