Texas Administrative Code › Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES › Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES › Chapter 289 - RADIATION CONTROL › Subchapter F - LICENSE REGULATIONS › Section 289.253 - Radiation Safety Requirements for Well Logging Service Operations and Tracer Studies

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Purpose. This section establishes
											  radiation safety requirements for persons using sources of radiation for well logging service operations,
											  including radioactive markers, mineral exploration and tracer studies.
(b) Scope. This section applies to all persons who use sources of radiation
											  for well logging service operations, radioactive markers, mineral exploration and tracer studies. In addition
											  to the requirements of this section, persons are subject to the requirements of §
										289.201 of this
											  title (relating to General Provisions for Radioactive Material), §
										289.202
											  of this title (relating to Standards for Protection Against Radiation from Radioactive Materials), §
										289.203
											  of this title (relating to Notices, Instructions, and Reports to Workers; Inspections), §
										289.204
											  of this title (relating to Fees for Certificates of Registration, Radioactive Material Licenses, Emergency
											  Planning and Implementation, and Other Regulatory Services), §
										289.205 of this title
											  (relating to Hearing and Enforcement Procedures), §
										289.226 of
											  this title (relating to Registration of Radiation Machine Use and Services), §
										289.229
											  of this title (relating to Radiation Safety Requirements for Accelerators, Therapeutic Radiation Machines,
											  Simulators, and Electronic Brachytherapy Devices), §
										289.231
											  of this title (relating to General Provisions and Standards for Protection Against Machine-Produced
											  Radiation), §
										289.252 of this title
											  (relating to Licensing of Radioactive Material), and §
										289.257 of
											  this title (relating to Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material).
(c) Definitions. The following words and terms when used in this section
											  shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Energy compensation source (ECS)--A small sealed source with an
											  activity not exceeding 100 microcuries (µCi) (3.7 megabecquerel (MBq)), used within a logging tool or
											  other tool component, to provide a reference standard to maintain the tool's calibration when in
											  use.
(2) Field station (additional authorized use/storage
											  location)--A facility where sources of radiation may be stored or used and from which equipment is dispatched
											  to temporary job sites.
(3) Injection tool--A device used for
											  subsurface or downhole controlled injection of radioactive tracer material.
(4) Logging assistant (equipment operator)--Any individual who, under the
											  personal supervision of a logging supervisor, handles sealed sources or tracers that are not in logging tools
											  or shipping containers or who performs surveys required by subsection (bb) of this section.
(5) Logging supervisor (field engineer)--The individual who provides
											  personal supervision of the use of sources of radiation at temporary job sites.
(6) Logging tool--A device used subsurface to perform well
											  logging.
(7) Mineral logging--Any logging performed for the
											  purpose of mineral exploration other than oil or gas.
(8)
											  Personal supervision--Guidance and instruction by the supervisor, who is physically present at the job site
											  and in such proximity that visual contact can be maintained and immediate assistance given as
											  required.
(9) Radiation safety officer--An individual named by
											  the licensee or registrant and listed on the license or certificate of registration who has a knowledge of,
											  responsibility for, and authority to enforce appropriate radiation protection rules, standards, and practices
											  on behalf of the licensee and/or registrant, and who meets the requirements of subsection (s) of this
											  section.
(10) Radioactive marker--Radioactive material placed
											  subsurface or upon a structure intended for subsurface use for the purpose of depth determination or
											  direction orientation.
(11) Residential location--Any area where
											  structures in which people lodge or live are located, and the grounds on which these structures are located
											  including, but not limited to, houses, apartments, condominiums, and garages.
(12) Screenout--A situation in which radioactive tracer material is
											  reversed out of an oil or gas well (well returns).
(13) Service
											  company--Any contracted or subcontracted company that is present at the temporary job site, specifically,
											  that company to which the licensee's equipment is connected and that is exposed to radioactive
											  material.
(14) Source holder--A housing or assembly into which a
											  radioactive source is placed for the purpose of facilitating the handling and use of the source.
(15) Storage container--A container designed to provide radiation safety
											  and security when sources of radiation are being stored.
(16)
											  Temporary job site--A location where well logging or tracer studies are performed other than the specific
											  location(s) listed on a license or certificate of registration.
(17) Tracer study--The release of a substance tagged with radioactive
											  material for the purpose of tracing the movement or position of the tagged substance in the wellbore, at the
											  wellhead, or adjacent formation.
(18) Transport container--A
											  container that meets the requirements of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and is designed
											  to provide radiation safety and security when sources of radiation are being transported.
(19) Tritium neutron generator target source--A tritium source used within
											  a neutron generator tube to produce neutrons for use in well logging applications.
(20) Uranium sinker bar--A weight containing depleted uranium used to aid
											  in the descent of a logging tool down toward the bottom of a wellbore.
(21) Wellbore--A drilled hole in which wireline service operations are
											  performed.
(22) Well logging--All operations involving the
											  lowering and raising of measuring devices or logging tools (that may or may not contain sources of radiation)
											  into wellbores or cavities for the purpose of obtaining information about the well and/or adjacent
											  formations.
(23) Wireline--An armored steel cable, containing one
											  or more electrical conductors, used to lower and raise logging tools in the wellbore.
(24) Wireline service operation--Any mechanical or electronic service that
											  is performed in the wellbore using devices that are lowered into the well on a wireline for purposes of
											  evaluation.