[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 119 (Monday, June 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33966-33968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16537]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Texas License L03835]
ProTechnics International, Inc.--Houston, TX: Field Flood Tracer
Study; Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of Opportunity for a
Hearing
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering authorizing
ProTechnics International, Inc. (ProTechnics) to conduct a field flood
tracer study in an oil reservoir located at the Green Valley Unit,
Noble County, Oklahoma near Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Environmental Assessment
Identificiation of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is authorizing ProTechnics to conduct a field
flood tracer study using hydrogen-3 in an oil reservoir located at the
Green Valley Unit, Noble County, Oklahoma, near the town of Stillwater,
Oklahoma. ProTechnics, with offices in Houston, Texas, is authorized by
the State of Texas License L03835, to conduct field flood tracer
activities in oil and gas reservoirs at temporary jobsites within that
State. NRC's regulations in 10 CFR 150.20, ``Reciprocity--Recognition
of Agreement State Licenses,'' states, in part, ``* * * any person
holding a specific license from an Agreement State where the licensee
maintains an office for directing the licensed activity * * * is
granted a general license to conduct the same activity in * * * Non-
Agreement States * * * [provided] the specific Agreement State license
[does not] limit the authorized activity to a specific installation or
location.'' Because the Texas license authorizes ProTechnics to use the
requested radioisotopes in field flood tracer studies at temporary
jobsites, ProTechnics qualifies for the general license. Paragraph
(b)(1) of 10 CFR Part 150.20 further states, ``* * *[any person] shall
* * * before engaging in each activity * * * file an NRC Form-241,
``Report of Proposed Activities in Non-Agreement States'' * * * ``with
NRC. ProTechnics met this requirement with a submission dated April 22,
1998.
On January 13, 1997 (62 FR 1662), NRC published a final rule in the
Federal Register amending 10 CFR 150.20. The amendment, primarily
intended to clarify requirements concerning activities conducted at
areas of exclusive federal jurisdiction with Agreement States, also
revised 10 CFR 150.20(b) to make clear that licensees operating
pursuant to the rule must comply with all NRC regulations applicable to
materials licensees. 10 CFR Part 51 specifies the environmental
protection regulations applicable to NRC's licensing activities and
implements section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended. Section 51.21 provides that all licensing actions
require an environmental assessment except those identified in 10 CFR
51.20 as requiring an environmental impact statement or those
identified in 10 CFR 51.22(c) as categorical exclusions. The sue of
radioactive tracers in field flood studies is not identified in either
section. Therefore, an environmental assessment must be prepared.
Paragraph 51.60(b)(1)(vi) requires that an applicant
[[Page 33967]]
submit an environmental report with any request for use of radioactive
tracers in field flood studies. ProTechnics submitted an environmental
report in a letter dated April 1, 1998.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The action is to determine if the licensee's request to perform
activities under the general license should be approved or denied.
Field flood tracer studies are conducted in conjunction with enhanced
recovery of oil and natural gas, commonly referred to as enhanced oil
recovery (EOR).
The oil from a producing well in a new reservoir initially flows
because of the pressure exerted by water and gas in the reservoir. As
oil production continues the reservoir pressure declines unless fluids
are injected into the reservoir to maintain the pressure. The average
recovery from primary production, with and without pressure
maintenance, is 20 to 30 percent of the original oil in place. Oil
production can be increased through a secondary recovery technique
called waterflooding, which is the injection of water through injection
wells to push the oil toward production wells. Further enhancements in
oil production may occur with the use of so-called tertiary recovery
methods in which steam, sulfactants (soaps), or other compounds or
gases are injected into the reservoir.
Radioactive tracers are used to define the movement of liquids or
gases injected into an oil and gas reservoir to enhance recovery and to
monitor reservoir performance. The water-soluble or gaseous tracer is
introduced into a reservoir with the injected fluid. Both radioactive
and nonradioactive tracers may be used. The tracer is placed in the
injection well, where it is diluted and swept into the reservoir by
injection liquid or gas. The diluted tracer is subsequently recovered
at production wells and is monitored by sampling the recovered fluids.
In evaluating reservoir performance, it is desirable to determine
the source of the injected fluid being collected at a production well.
It is frequently desirable, therefore, to employ several tracers, using
a different tracer in each of a number of injection wells.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
NRC published NUREG/CR-3467, ``Environmental Assessment of the Use
of Radionuclides as Tracers in the Enhanced Recovery of Oil and Gas''
In November 1983. This generic environmental assessment (EA) evaluated
the use of 16 different radioisotopes, used in certain activity ranges,
as interwell tracers in field flooding for EOR operations. A typical
operation using radioisotopes for interwell tracing was analyzed from
the standpoint of three stages of operation: aboveground, subsurface,
and recovery and disposal. Doses to workers who handle radioactive
tracers and to members of the public were estimated for normal and
accidental exposure scenarios. For the isotope ProTechnics requested
authorization to use. NUREG/CR-3467 analyzed the use of up to 30 curies
of hydrogen-3. The ProTechnics submittal only requests authorization to
use up to 2 curies of hydrogen-3, well within the bounds of the generic
assessment. The NUREG estimated the national radiological impact on the
use of radioisotopes as interwell tracers in EOR projects to be a
collective dose equivalent of less than 16 man-rem/yr. Accidental
exposures were estimated to contribute little to the total. The
ProTechnics proposal, which only includes one radioisotope and only a
small percentage of the total activity evaluated in the NUREG for that
radioisotope, will result in a lower collective dose equivalent.
Alternatives
Denial of ProTechnics request is a possible alternative to the
proposed action. This would avoid any of the environmental impacts
associated with the use of radioactive tracers. However, the proposed
action is nevertheless reasonable because its environmental impacts are
so small and it will provide benefits such as assisting to meet U.S.
energy needs.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
Ms. Pam Bishop of the State of Oklahoma, Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ), was contacted on June 2, 1998, to discuss
ProTechnics field flood tracer study reciprocity request and its
potential environmental impacts. In a letter dated June 8, 1998, Ms.
Bishop indicated that the DEQ had no objections to the tracer study.
Conclusion
The NRC staff concludes that the environmental impacts associated
with ProTechnics proposed request to conduct a field flood tracer study
using hydrogen-3 in an oil reservoir located at the Green Valley Unit,
Noble County, Oklahoma, are expected to be significant.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The Commission previously prepared an EA related to the use of
certain quantities of radionuclides as tracers in field flood
operations for the enhanced recovery of oil and gas. On the basis of
the assessment, the Commission concluded that environmental impacts
that would be created by such actions would not be significant and do
not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.
Because ProTechnics' request is within the bounds of that EA, it has
been determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
The generic EA is made available as NUREG/CR-3467. Copies of NUREG/
CR-3467 may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 37082, Washington, DC 20402-9328.
Copies are also available from the National Technical Information
Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. A copy and
ProTechnics' submittal are also available for inspection and copying
for a fee in the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower
Level), Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Opportunity for a Hearing
Any person whose interest may be affected by the approval of this
action may file a request for a hearing. Any request for hearing must
be filed with the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, within 30 days of the publication of
this notice in the Federal Register, be served on the NRC staff
(Executive Director for Operations, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852), and on the licensee
(ProTechnics International, Inc., 1160 Dairy Ashford, Suite 444,
Houston, TX 77079); and must comply with the requirements for
requesting a hearing set forth in the Commission's regulations, 10 CFR
Part 2, Subpart L, ``Information Hearing Procedures for Adjudications
in Materials Licensing Proceedings.''
These requirements, which the request must address in detail, are:
1. The interest of the rquestor in the proceeding;
2. How that interest may be affected by the results of the
proceeding (including the reasons why the requestor should be permitted
a hearing);
3. The requestor's areas of concern about the licensing activity
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
4. The circumstances establishing that the request for hearing is
timely--that is, filed within 30 days of the date of this notice.
In addressing how the requestor's interest may be affected by the
proceeding, the request should describe
[[Page 33968]]
the nature of the requestor's right under the Atomic Energy Act of
1954, as amended, to be made a party to the proceeding; the nature and
extent of the requestor's property, financial, or other (i.e., health,
safety) interest in the proceeding; and the possible effect of any
order that may be entered in the proceeding upon the requestor's
interest.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of June, 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stevens L. Baggett,
Acting Chief, Materials Safety Branch, Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-16537 Filed 6-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
