DOE/EML-385

REVIEW OF 2 2 2 Rn IN NATURAL GAS PRODUCED FROM UNCONVENTIONAL SOURCES

BY Carl V. Gogolak

November 1980

U. S. Department of Energy Environmental Measurements Laboratory New York, New York

DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency Thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document.

i

DISCLAWER

'"his book was prepand as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal IiabiIity or responsibility for the 8CcuraCy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or proocebs disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any spedf~ comdercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The vkws d opinions of authors expressed herein d o not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.''

i

This report has been reproduced directly from the best available copy.

Available from the National Technical Information Service, U. S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22161.

Price: Printed Copy A03 Microfiche A01

DO EIEM L-3 8 S Distribution Category UC-92a

E

NATURAL GAS PRODUCED FROB$ UNCONVENTIONAL SOURCES

Carl V. Gogolak

Environmental Measurements Laboratory U. S. Department of Energy New York, New York 10014

..r

2 ABSTRACT

the literature on tra dioactivity in natural gas and

natural gas products has been performed and the consequent radioactivity con- centrations active elements in natural gas

ht gas sands, geo-pressurized 222 aquifiers and c inary data on Rn concen-

in the range observed for more s with higher than average

. Massive fracturing ve concentration of radon in natural

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ROWCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . N - 2 2 2 CONCENTRATION I N NATURAL GAS . . . .

22 CONCENTRATION I N NEW OR UNCONVENTIONAL NATURAL GAS . . . . . . . . . . .

Page

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . SOURCES OF . . . . . . . . .

Eastern Gas Shales Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ern Tight Gas Sands Project . . . . . . . . . . . . .

surized Aquifers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . thane from Coal Beds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CONCENTRATIONS I N HOMES NATURAL GAS AND NATURAL DUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

IONAL EXPOSURE TO 222Rn IN NATURAL GAS AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

2 b

4 z

8

10

SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

RGFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

APPENDIXA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A - 1

i v

t

c

he total energy

s than 5% of the total gy reserves (ASET, 1979). Proven producible reserves

f known f ie lds have

ergy's (WE) Unconventional

reserves by develop-

economically possible

nomic. The four gas

i a l l y recoverable

ones of the Rocky

thin coal seams (16-500 i fers of the Gulf

1 Tcf = lo1* cubic feet . a

- 1 -

use of na tu ra l gas produced from ent iona l sources. Th of an on-going study of the

which may be released i n the

a1 implications of t

opment of new energy sou

ton e t al., 1973; G

CEAR repor t (UNSCEAR,

C i / l on a w e l l by w e 1 average f o r the United S ta tes hnson e t al., -- is not weighted fo r the va r i a t ion

1973).

Natural gas is generally processed t o remove impuri t ie

Studi carbons heavier than methane before being d is t r ibu ted .

- et -.* a1 1977; Gesell, 1975; van der Heijde, 1977; Fr ie s and Ki€gren, 1972) t h a t

between 30 and 75X of the radon in the w e l l head gas can be removed i n processing

na tura l gas fo r the production of l i q u i f i e d petroleum gas (LPG) which is pr i -

marily propane.

The bo i l ing point of radon (-61.8OC) f a l l s between t h a t of ethane (-88.3OC) and

propane (-42.2OC) and is considerably higher than that of methane (-161.5"C).

a re su l t , the concentration of radon i n LPG has been found t o be 1025 times

higher at one standard deviat ion than i n the i

This occurs because of the thermal separat ion process used.

As

After processing, the na Typically the gas from many d i f

at speeds of 16-20 h / h , so

transmission l i n e s between t

t i o n areas i n the northeast ,

time equals one t o two half

points i n the United S ta t e s d

ils become mixed.

systems and the res

in Table 2 (UNS ited States is

about 23 pCi/l ( they tcnd t o pl;trt* out

ormed. The main pipelines

city, whereas demand varies seasonal ar the distribution centers during times

This storage p . Seasonal

ow demand and r ring times of high demand. 222R,

concentrations durin

e increase of 222h concentra- s for cooking and fr

sive survey that would Measurements by

at buildup in the

the ventilation rate. This may result in a

due to d to mask any increase

cated than that €

-several intermedia I

with distance

nimum during the winter market to meet the higher

demand, since LPG, like na stant rate

the year. The pre asonal pattern in a ons in both nat rem production a

d LPG will depend Gesell et al. --

1 assigned average

*

150 pCi/l - Cal ia 100 pCi/l - Texas 50 pCi/l - Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, N 10 pCi/l - all other states.

A summary of the various sources of 2 2 2 ~ in States, including

natural gas and LPG, has recently been compiled by Travis et al. (1979). estimates of the average 222Rn air concentration (indoor or outdoor as appro-

Their 7-

4.

UNCONVENTIONAL GAS

priate) due to each source are shown in Table

222Rn CONCENTRATION IN NEW OR SOURCES OF NATURAL

Many factors can affect the 222Rn concentrstions in natural gas and natural gas products at the consumer level, ,but these concentrations ultimately depend on the original 222Rn content of the gas at the well head. four target areas of the Unconventional Gas Recovery program were examined in order to determine how the 222Rn concentrations in gas from these sources might compare with the range (0.2- 1450 pCifl) and average (37 pCi/l) observed in gas from the conventional sources.

Each of the

~

Eastern Gas Shales Project

Sedimentary rock genera average about 3.7 ppm 238U (N Devonian shales, however, c

in Devonialr shales and

tain higher levels of

- 4 -

a t ions i n samples from Devonian shale formations

les usual ly contain twice

e (Fulton, 1977). Core

formations (Leventhal and

ted with marked observable

e percentage of organic

carbon i n the rock.

ncentrat ions of 2 2 2 ~ i n

ervoir rock (van der Heidje

-- e models assume homogeneity

U concentrations i n Devonian

l a t i o n was used t o

such a small sam n well head 222Rn concen

flow r a t e s from the

a l a t e d w e l l s .

i n other pa r t s of the country such as the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and Kansas.

If one were t o assume tha t the United

of

rock, the 151 p C i / l of 222Rn obse

average concent

na tura l gas wer -222

n sha le wells is

proportion t o the ov ppm 238U observed i n samp *

8

proportion t o the ov ppm 238U observed i n samp *

8

Western Tight G a s Sands Project

The recovery of na tura l gas from the low permeability, western t i g h t Table 1 gas sands requires massive f rac tur ing of the reservoi r formations.

shows tha t na tu ra l gas from w e l l s i n New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming general ly

contain 10-50 pCi/l of

on radon concentrations i n na tu ra l gas, we have examined data accumulated during

project PLFSHARE i n which nuclear explosives were used t o s t imulate the produc-

t i on of na tura l gas.

222& To inves t iga te the e f f e c t of massive f rac tur ing

Studies following pro jec t GASBUGGY (December 10, 1967 i n New Mexico)

and pro jec t RULISON (September 10, 1979 i n Colorado) showed tha t these detona-

t ions caused no s ign i f i can t changes i n the 222Rn concentration i n na tura l gas

from nearby w e l l s (Bunce and S a t t l e r , 1966; McBride and H i l l , 1969; SWRHL, 1970). Table 7 contains da t a on samples obtained from the test wel ls following Project

RULISON and Project RIO BLANC0 (May 17, 1973 i n Colorado).

t i ons i n the na tu ra l gas from these wells (10-40 pCi/l) is within the range

expected f o r t h a t area.

w e l l s d id not cause a grea t increase i n 222Rn concentrations i n the gas.

The 222Fh concentra-

Thus, i t appears t ha t the massive f rac tur ing of these

Geopressurized Aquifers

f

The geopressurized geothermal br ines of the Gulf Coast region of

Louisiana are capable of providing k i n e t i c energy from the high pressures

of the reservoi r , thermal energy from the hot water and energy

na tu ra l gas which is dissolved i n the water (Newchurch e t al . , 1978). ments a t one w e l l have shown t ha t the waters were subs t an t i a l ly saturated with

methane (Karkali ts and Hankins, 1979). The geopressurized b r ines and t h e i r

.,

Measure- --

dissolved methane 1978; Kraemer, 1980) that nearly all of t

and that nearly all of the 222Rn in the methane can be traced to the

e been analyzed for radioactivity (Hankins -- et al., data are shown in Table 8. Kraemer (1980) has found 2Rn in the water is separated along with the methane

226Ra in

ry little, if any, unsupported 222Rn in the water. The es was 24-238 pCi/l. udied is 110 pCi/l, esource should be

e is generated and thane in coal mines is the methane from coal

e of this gas.

222Rn content of methane he air in coal mines has

Since the concentration of methane in these air samples was not measured, concentrations

measuremen

e amount of uranium as is

- 7 -

nd in soil, and abo that usually fo

ion fraction of radon fr similar to tha ely 13-14%. On this entrations in the gas

rces of natural uced from these concentrations of th

the overall range that i ed in gas from conventio o be higher in proportion to

an shale we€ls s' average and is rou

found in the reservoir rock. Because thes are new, it has e considered t

2 2 2 ~ concen gas as it would be d

of 2 2 2 ~ in natural ga ot be made at 11 head concent

produce indoor air concentrati ceptable.

omes which might be cons

222b CONCENTRATIONSIN HOMES FROM NATURAL

GAS AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTS

The major potential radiological hazard of 222Rn in n gas products lies in the combustion of these fuels in unven

sed the model home parameters developed by Johnson et

-- al. (1977) to calculate the annual average increa concentrations that would be expected in an average home pe fuel as delivered:

age Indoor 222Rn Concentr

Its are given in Ta may be adjusted

4

1,

f

*

sizes, ventilation r uel consumptions.

In Table 12 are given the concentrations of 222Rn in fuel as delivered n a i r conccntmt inns t o givm 2 to increase indoor

I

kground and the corresponding working level (WL) at an equil- *

c

UNSCEAR (1977) has compiled background indoor radon concentrations and erage of 1 pCi/l of

is is consistent with the NCRP the more recent data of Breslin and George (1979)

in several cases to o limit the sure of the general public

978; EPA, 1973).

is not equal to the there is decay during

Rn between na as and LPG during pro- cessing. However, by 2m concentrations

with the average con- centration in natur m Table 2 (23 pCi/l), it can

concentrations in natural

from Using the average concentration of Table 3 (76 pCi/l) , the 222

to be about a factor of two hi gas from which it is produc of 222b in natural gas nec 222b concentrations from the cooking and space heating are a

in LPG at the reta s t imated

than the well-head conc asis, the well-he uce a given incre

either natural gas or iven in Table 12.

In most cases, the conce ns of 2 2 2 ~

would be required to produce bly high indoor are far in excess of those that een observed

in indoor 222Rn concentrations in the model home f 222Rn found in fuel (from Tab1 concentration from an individu for comparison. Concentrations of 222h in natura 1000 pCi/l would be necessary to increase indoor c an annual average of 0.33 pCi/l. On the basis of present unlikely that 222Rn in natural gas would pose a radiologi domestic users except perhaps in specific local uses near ordinarily high concentrations.

2 and 3) and for

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO 222Rn IN NATURAL GAS AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTS

Surveys of the potential occupational exposure due to 222Rn and its daughters in natural gas processing plants have been made in the United States (Gesell, 1975) and in the Netherlands (van der Heij

t

In nine United States short-lived radon daughters wh

of equipment was less than 8 ighest levels we propane reflux pumps which wer external gamma-ray exposure le

lated out on the inte 8

located in low-oc Netherlands pla

- 10 -

222R, than .Ol mR/h, in th e 1).

r concentrations of

210 The inhalatio :: 210Ph :Ind Po m;ty

be a hazard in the repairi 75; van der Heijde,

rvals

the inhalatio

masks when cleaning the internal surfaces.

nhalation exposures to

tinuous occupa

teed by the TLV for C02.

*

t

tions at the well head of individual conventional wells as high as 1450 pCi/l

have been observed, but the measurements of 2 2 2 ~ conc

bserved for convention

Many of the unconvent

ations in natura ions showed no

In fact, the co

tight gas sandstone depo the relative concentration of not effected substantially by involved in most new gas rec the effects of fracturin clude analysis for 222Rn of samples taken before and after stimulation and either a calibrated well log or analysis of core samples for If any effects of fracturing o concentrations are obse prove useful in interpreting the efficiency of various fractu Radon-222 could thus be used as an internal reservoir tracer.

in natural gas from these

projects, however, a few caref

Preliminary data from several wells in southern Louisiana show 22Zh

concentrations in methane dissolved in geopressurized brines av

110 pCi/l. Further data sho as this resource i is currently no data availab from coal beds. Nevertheles oncentrations in coal are would expect "'Rn concentratl

e recovered

an are observed in other reservoir formations.

- 12 -

I

&

t

1

REFERENCES

t a n t Secretary f o r Ener t

1 Energy Program Summar OE Report ET-0087 1

ACGIH (1973).

Threshold Limit Values fo r Chemical Substances and Physical Agents i n the

Workroom Environment with Intended Changes f o r 1973

American Conference of Governmental Indus t r i a l Hygienists, Cincinnat i , Ohio

J. A. S. Adams (1962).

Radioactivity i n the Lithosphere, p. 1

in: Nuclear Radiation i n Geophysics, H. Israel and A. Krebs (Editors)

Springer-Verlag, Berlin

C. J. Barton, R. E. Moore and P. S. Rohwer (1973).

Contribution of Radon i n Natural Gas t o the Dose from Airborne Radon-Daughters

in: Noble Gases, R. E. Stanley and A. A. Moghissi (Editors)

Proceedings of Symposium held i n L a s Vegas, September 24-28, 1973

USERDA Report CONF-730915

i n Homes, p. 134

H. L. Beck, C. V. Gogolak, K. M. Miller and W. M. Lowder (1980).

Perturbations on t h e Natural Radiation Environment due t o the Ut i l i za t ion of Coal as an Energy Source

in: Proceedings of the Third In t e rna t iona l Symposium on t h e Natural Radiation f

Environment, Houston, Texas, April 23-28, 1978 USDOE Report COW-780422

G. A. Boysen (1976).

O f f s i t e Radiological Safety Program for Projec t Rulison Flar ing, Phase 111

USEPA Report EMSL-LV-539-8

- €4 -

A. J. Breslin and Radon Sources, ni Trans. Am. Nuc. SOC., 33, 150

L. A. Bunce and F. W. Sattler (1966). Radon-222 in Natural Gas

Radiat. Health Data and Reports, L, 441-444 c

t

M. W. Carter and A. A. Moghissi (1974). Radiation Dose from Natural Gas vs that from Nuclear Stimulated Natural Gas,

p. 355 h Topical Midyear Symposium of the Health Physics Society,

Knoxville, TN, Oct. USAEC Report CONF-741

1

CFR (1978). Code of Fede art 20, Appendix B, 5070

Amended 40 FR

EPA (1977). ited States

B. A. Fries and Radon in Natur -. n _ _ _ _ _ bnevron aese urru, "e

*.

t

entia1 Buildings

diation Environment, Houston, Texas, April 23-28, 1978

USDOE Report COW-780422 - 15 -

T. F. Gesell, R. H. Johnson, Jr., and D. E. Bernhardt (1977). Assessment of Potential Radiological Health Effects from Radon in Liquified

USEPA Report 520/1-75-002 Petroleum Gas

T. F. Gesell (1975). Occupational Radiation Exposure Due to 222Rn in Natural Gas and Natural Gas Products

Health Physics, 29, 681-687 -

R. L. Gotchy (1972). Project Rulison Final Operational Radioactivity Report: USAEC Report NVO-112

Production T

B. E. Hankins, R. E. Chavanne, R. A. Han, 0 . C. Karkalits, and J. I. Palermo (1978).

Chemical Analyses of Geothermal Waters from a South Louisiana Well Proceedings of the 3rd Geopressurized Geothermal Energy Conference, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana, November 16-18, 1977

J. H. Harley (1973). Environmental Radon, p. 109 in: Proceedings of a Symposium held in Las Vegas, September 24-28, 1973 USERDA Report CONF-730915

Noble Gases, R. E. Stanley and A. A. Moghissi (Editors)

Hennington, W. M. (1980) Mitchell Energy Corp., private communication

M. Hmphreys and G. M. Friedman (1972). Radioactive Trace Elements in Upper Devonian Clastic Rocks, North Central

USAEC Report GJO-7407 Pennsylvania

s

r I

ICRP, Internati

Recommendat ions

Pergamon Press, N.Y

P. W. Jacoe (1953). t Occurrence

ey, Jr. (1973).

Assessment of Potential Ra Gas

Chemical Analysis of Gas Dissolved in Geot Well

Proceedings of the 3rd Geopressuriz sity of Southwestern Louisiana, L

ference, Univer- ember 16-18, 1977

ssippi, private conrmunica-

20 - April 27,

3rd James USDOE

J. S.

P. Kruger, G. Warren and B. D. Honeyman (1977). Radon as an Internal Tracer in Geothermal Reservoirs Nuclear Methods in Environmental

Conference October 10-13, 1977, University of Missouri, Columbia R. Vogt (Editor) Report CONF-771072

Leventhal and M. B. Goldhaber (1978). * New Data for Uranium, Thorium, Carbon and Sulfur in Devonian Black S

from West Virginia, Kentucky and New York, p. 215

Proceedings of the 1st Eastern Gas Shales Symposium, October 17-19, 1977 USDOE Report MERC/SP-TI/S

H. F. Lucas, Jr. (1967). Radon in Coal Mine Air, Part I1 Radiological Physics Division Annual Report, Argonne National Laboratory,

USAEC Report ANL-7360, pp. 104-105 July 1966 - June 1967

H. F. Lucas, Jr. and A. F. Gabrysh (1966).

Radon in Coal Mines, p. 58 Radiological Physics Division Annual Report, Argonne National Laboratory, July 1965 - June 1966

USAEC Report ANL-7220

J. R. McBride and D. Hill (1969). Offsite Radiological Surveillance for Project Gasbuggy June 1967 - July 1968 Radiation Health Data and Reports, 10, 535-546 -

NCRP, National Council on Radiat National Background Radiation in the United States NCRP Report No. 45

rotection and Measurements (1975).

NCRP, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (1976). Environmental Radiation Measurements NCRP Report No. 50

- 18 -

t

P. Harrison, R. A. Muller, R. E. Wilcox,

, K. J. 'Cum

o r the Long TermyEnvironmental Ass of Geopressurized Reso

Development i n t h e Louisiana Gulf Coast R Order No. 8316603, I n s t i t u t e f o r Environmen

Baton Rouge, LA I f

t

A. P. Pierce, G. Panhandle Gas F

U. S. Geological

L. J. Provo (1977)

R. L. Rock, C. i l a r , R. T. Beckman, and

ioac t ive Aerosols i n Uni

ement and Safety

tment -of I n t e r i o r

A. Y. Sakakura, C. Lindber d H- F a d (1959).

on& t o the Transport of

sis and Evaluat am S ta tus Report

I USAEC Report UC

- 19 -

S. J. Cotter, A. P. n, M. L. Randolph, L. M. and D. E. Fields (19 ).

A Radiological Assessment of Ra eleased from Uranium Mil

Natural and Technologically k h a

USNRC Report NUREG/CR-O573, ORNL/ c

C. C. Travis (1979) 1

Environmental Sources of Radon

Trans. Am. Nuclear SOC., 33, 144 -

UNSCEAR, United Nations S c i e n t i f i c Committee on the Effec ts of A t

t i on (1977).

Report t o the General Assembly, Annex B, Paragraph 262-266

H. B. van der Heijde, H, Beens and A. R. de Monchy (1977).

The Occurrence of Radioactive Elements i n Natural Gas

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 1, 49-87 -

T. Wardaszko (1976).

Radiation Hazard t o Population h e t o Radon-222 i n Natural Gas

Postepy Fiz. Med. XI, 4

J. H. Way, Jr., and G. M. Friedman (1972).

Radioactive Trace Elements i n Middle and Upper Devonian Clastic Rocks,

USAEC Report GJO-7406

C a t s k i l l Mountain Area, N.Y.

TABLE 1 r

RADON-222 CONCENTRATIONS I N NATURAL GAS AT THE WELL HEAD*

RANGE ( p C i / l )

AVERAGE LOCATION

TABLE 2

RADON-222 CONCENTRATIONS IN NATURAL GAS IN DISTRIBUTION LINES*

LOCATION

United States

Chicago New York City Denver West Coast Colorado Nevada New Mexico Houston

14.4 1.5 50.5 15 25 8

2.3 - 31.3 0.5 - 3.8 1.2 - 119 1 - 100

6.5 - 43 5.8 - 10.4

45 10 - 53 8 1.4 - 14.3

Overall Average 23

*UNSCEAR, 1977

- 22 -

TABLE 3

DON-222 CONCENTRATION IN RETAIL LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS* *

RANGE ?

(pCi/l of gas) (pCi/l of gas)

Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida 1.1 0.5 - 3.8 0.5 - 13.4

California ’ 151 2 - 1049 Arizqna - New Mexico 37 0.5 - 120

Arkansas, Louisiana 3.8

Texas :

3 - 292 0 .5 - 1240 Gulf Coast & South Texas

East Texas

Oklahoma

Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carol South Carolina

3 -

TABLE 4

SOURCES AND QUANTITIES OF RADON-222 RELEASED IN THE UNITED STATES*

28,000 84**

120,000,000 l20- . -

Domes$ic Ranges Domestic Heaters Industry

8,800,000

3,100,000

200 80

11,000

Uranium Industry

Mining Milling (active) Milling (inactive)

Non-Uranium Mines

Phosphate Coal

Phosphate Fertilizer

Liquified Petroleum Gas

Domestic Ranges Domestic Heaters

200,000 150,000 51,000

53,000 14,000

48,000

3.1

3** lo** . .012

.22

.078

.027

.053

.014

1.8 1.3

.048

.16** . .92**

.00058 Geothermal Power 580 a

500 .0005 Coal Fired Power Plants

Gas and Oil Wells 230 .00023

*

- *Travis, 1979

ntration in interior spaces.

- 24 -

TABLE 6

RADON-222 CONCENTRATION IN NATmzAL GAS FROM DEVONIAN SHALE WELLS

~

4

222 Flow Rn Rate Conc . (MCFD) * Stimulation (pci/l)

a

Letcher Co., KY 25 86 250 6 es - 104

Johnson Co., KY 20 85 180 8 Yes 247

Floyd Ce. , KY 60 80 - - No 231

100 85 - - No 249 11 11

Martin Co., KY 111 95 400 - No 177

12.5 95 213 - Yes 26 11 11

Mingo Co. , W. VA. 442 95 470 - NO . 116

8.5 95 168 - Yes 43 11 11

Average Radon-222 Concentration production weighted

(pcill)

Stimulated Wells 125

Unstimulated Wells

All Wells

154

151

*Millions of cubic feet per day.

- 26 -

TABLE

RADON-222 CONCENTRATIONS IN NATURAL GAS FROM 'NUCLEAR STIMULATED WELLS

.)

222Rn Concent f (PCUl) ef erence

Rulison (9/10/69)

TABLE 8

RADON-222 I N METHANE FROM GEOPRESSURIZED AQUIFERS

2 2 6 ~ i n Water* 222Rn i n Gab* Well (PCi / f ) (PCi/l) Reference

#1 Edna Delcanbre Vermilion Parish, LA

Sand b l Sand #3

52 Southport Beulah Simon V e d i l i o n Parish, LA

238 (6) 393 (4)

277 (8)

f 2 Fairfax 796 (13) Foster Su t t e r St. Mary Parish, LA

#1 SL6701, Block 22 E a s t Cameron Area Offshore, LA

157 (10)

#3 Alma P lan ta t ion 88 (1) East Baton Rouge Parish, LA

#1 Lorio 126 (1) E a s t Baton Rouge Parish, LA

#2 Pleasant Bayou 727 ( 8 ) Brazoria County, TX

Average 350

I

97 (4) K r a e m e r (1980)

11 I 1 238 (1)

( 1 I1 -

11 11 -

11 11 -

II 11

110

*Figures i n parentheses ind ica t e number of samples analyzed.

. .

\ ,

TABLE 10 ,

URANIUM, THORIUM, AND POTASSIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN COAL AS MINED (FRACTION OF DRY WEIGHT) '

-

No. of Region (Type) Samples

K (g/lOO g) Geo . Geo . Geo . u (ICglg) Th (Ccdg)

Range Mean Mean Range Mean Mean Range Mean Mean

PA. Anthracite Appalachian (b) Midwest (b) N. Gt. Plain8 (sb, b) Gulf Coast, Lignite

I

0 W Rocky Mt. (b, sb) 1 Alaska (sb)

IL Basin Appalachian Western Western

53 331 143 93 34 134 18 56 (113 K) 14 (23 K) 22 (29 K) 19

0.3-25.2 < 0.2-10.5 0.2-43

cO.2-2.9 0.5-16.7

< 0.2-23.8 0.4-5.2 0.31-4.6 0.4-2.9 0.3-2.5 .

.11-3.5

1.2 1.0 1.4 0.7 2.4 0.8 1.0 1.3 1.3 1.0 0.85

1.5 1.4 3.3 0.9 3.2 1.6 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.2 0.9

2.8-14.4 4.7 5.4 .16 2.2-47.8 2.8 4.9 .008-2.4 .13 < 3 -79 1.6 5.2 .Oll-. 53 .ll < 2 -8.0 2.4 2.7 .03 <3 -28.4 3.0 8.3 .15 <3 -34.8 ~ 2.0 3.6 .03 <3 -18 3.1 4.4 .016-87 .08 0.71-5.1 1.9 2.1 04-0.56 .16

.21 1.8-9 0 4.0 4.5 0.62-5.7 1.8 2.3 .01-. 32 .03

I

.06-68

- -

.24

.23 16 . 04

4 30 .08 .12 .17 .25 .05

.I

-.

Vent i la t ion rat

I

w )-r

I

.00004 (.112- . l 68 )

*Adapted from Jotmson -- et a1 (1973) and Gesell et &, 1977. **Per pCi / l in f u e l as de l ivered.

.

I

w h,

I

TABLE 12

CONCENTRATIONS OF W N - 2 2 2 IN NATIkAL GAS OR LPG NECESSARY TO PRODUCE A GIVEN 1M)OOR CONCENTRATION OF RADON-222

We 1 1-head Concentration necessary to produce a Fuel Concentration

Average Indoor 222Rn Working Level Cooking plus space heating given fuel concentration

LPG Background (pCi/l) Factor) Natural Gas LPG Concentration Above (0.5 Equilibrium (pCi /1) (pCi/l)

Natural Gas

.062

.077*

.15

.33 e 57 1 2 3** 4 5 10

.00031

.00039

.00073

.00165

.00283

.0050***

. 010

.015

.020

.025***

.050

- 11%

507 870 1538 3077 4615 6154 7692 15385

124W -

2900

6600

20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 200000

191

816 1450.H 2474 4950 7424 9900 12374 24750

620

1450*

3300

10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 100000

Total (including background) above .05 wf, - remedial action I: Background is estimated as 1 pCi/l Radon-222 with a 50% equilibrium factor. + Maximum found in U.S. fuels from Tables 2 and 3.

.H Maximum found in U.S. wells from Table 1. 0

e c U U

-

APPENDIX A

CONCENTRATIONS I N NATURAL GAS FROM THE ENTRATIONS I N RESERVOIR ROCK

Computational models have been developed that relate the concentrations of 222Rn i n natural s to the concentrat reservoir rock.

The simple model of der Heijde -7 et a l .

c = 3 .3 lo5 ps Tr 'r Ts --

pes into interst i t ia l

.1

- A-l -

-

A more detailed analysis by Sakakura et al. (1959) res -- similar relation:

Y (2) -1 c = 3.3 x 10 5 - ps P [1+

PW

3

where :

1 head pressure, T is well head temperature,

2 2 W AP2 = Pr - Pw 9

R is the reservoir radius, and r is the well radius. W

The term in brackets arises from a power series expansion to first order of the pressure ratio as a function of distance from the well

3 For Q = 0.10, e = 0.10, p = 3 x 10 -- et al. (1959) used 222Rn concentrations measured in natural gas from wells in the Panhandle Field in Texas to estimate average 238U concentrations in the reservoir rock of 0.4-9 ppm. concentrated in asphaltite nodules which average 0.4% uranium, whereas the reser- voir rock generally contains 1-5 ppm uranium (Pierce,,et al., 1964). inhomogeneity, the significance of the model results are not clear. tunately, neit6er model has been tested rigorously on individual wells.

gfl, R = 500 ft and rw= 3/8 ft, Sakakura

However, 238U in the Panhandle Field is generally

With such Unfor-

The difficulty in applying these models is often r f

knowledge of the reservoir parameters of temperature, pre re, porosity,

238U concentration and 222Rn exhalation rate. Inhomogeneity in source and -c

also in the fracture system further models may be useful for studying r r dynamics in cert

- A-2 -

circumstances. Furt in fractured reservoir systems as part of the Stanford University Geothermal

Program (Kruger 1977a; 1977b; 1978).

work is being performed on the behavior of 222R,