[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47924-47925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15721]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 30-30429; NRC-2023-0115]


ProTechnics, a Division of Core Laboratories LP; Alternate 
Abandonment of an Irretrievable Sealed Source

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; 
issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a 
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and accompanying environmental 
assessment (EA) for an exemption request from ProTechnics, a division 
of Core Laboratories LP (ProTechnics), byproduct material license no. 
42-26928-01, for alternate abandonment of an irretrievable sealed 
source in a Gulf of Mexico oil and gas well. Based on the analysis in 
the EA, the NRC staff has concluded that there would be no significant 
impacts on the quality of the human environment from ProTechnics' 
proposed exemption request and therefore, a FONSI is appropriate.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on 
July 25, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0115 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2023-0115. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the For Further Information 
Contact section of this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public 
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, 
or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for 
each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the 
first time that it is mentioned in this document.
     NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an 
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  James Park, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-6954, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering an exemption request from ProTechnics for 
alternate abandonment of an irretrievable sealed source in a Gulf of 
Mexico oil and gas well. In its exemption request, ProTechnics stated 
that a sealed source, together with its encasing well logging tool, had 
become lodged in the Gulf of Mexico well despite ProTechnics' attempts 
to retrieve it (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML23116A328 and ML23116A323). The 
NRC's regulations in paragraph 39.15(a)(5) of title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) provide the requirements for abandonment 
if the sealed source is classified as irretrievable after reasonable 
efforts at recovery have been expended. These requirements include 
immobilizing and sealing the source with a cement plug; a means, if 
needed, to prevent inadvertent intrusion on the source; and a permanent 
identification plaque mounted at the surface of the well, if practical, 
with required wording and information. In proposing alternate 
abandonment methods, ProTechnics states that the location of the sealed 
source within the well and its orientation there make it impossible to 
retrieve the sealed source and to implement its standard procedures for 
abandonment of the sealed source consistent with NRC's regulations. As 
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC staff prepared an EA that documents 
its independent evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of 
abandonment of the sealed source in light of ProTechnics' exemption 
request. Based on the analysis in the EA, the NRC staff has concluded 
that there would be no significant impacts to the environment from 
ProTechnics' proposed alternate abandonment methods and therefore, a 
FONSI is appropriate.

II. Summary of Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    ProTechnics is seeking an exemption to allow for alternate 
abandonment of an irretrievable sealed source in accordance with the 
requirements 10 CFR 39.15(c). In its exemption request, ProTechnics 
stated that the sealed source had initially become lodged in the Gulf 
of Mexico well on June 29, 2022. The sealed source, together with its 
encasing well logging tool, is lodged within the well 45 degrees off 
vertical. Following attempts to retrieve it, ProTechnics declared the 
sealed source irretrievable on July 29, 2022.
    In place of the abandonment requirements in 10 CFR 39.15(a)(5), 
ProTechnics proposes an alternate abandonment method for the sealed 
source that includes mechanical/technology, geographic, and 
administrative barriers. ProTechnics believes that these barriers would 
provide as much protection as that provided by ProTechnics' NRC-
approved source abandonment procedures.

Need for the Proposed Action

    ProTechnics submitted its exemption request to seek NRC approval of 
alternate abandonment procedures for an irretrievable sealed source, 
pursuant to the requirements in 10 CFR 39.15(c). ProTechnics stated 
that between June 30 and July 28, 2022, multiple unsuccessful attempts 
were made to retrieve the sealed source. ProTechnics states that the 
wellbore's orientation off vertical and the location of the sealed 
source within the wellbore make it impossible to implement its standard 
procedures for abandonment of the sealed source.

[[Page 47925]]

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts from 
ProTechnics' alternate abandonment methods for its irretrievable sealed 
source within a Gulf of Mexico well. Given the location of the 
irretrievable sealed source within the Gulf of Mexico well and 
ProTechnics' proposal to abandon the sealed source there, the NRC staff 
does not expect potential environmental impacts to the following 
resource areas: land use, transportation, geology and soils, surface 
water and ground water, ecology, air quality, noise, historic and 
cultural resources, socioeconomics, visual and scenic resources, and 
waste management. As a result, the NRC staff's analysis focused on the 
potential radiological impacts to the public and occupational health. 
With respect to ecological resources, the NRC staff determined that the 
proposed action would have no effect on threatened or endangered 
species or their critical habitat. The NRC staff also determined that 
the proposed action is not the type of activity that has the potential 
to cause effects on historic properties.
    As discussed in a 1981 NRC staff risk analysis of potential 
radiological exposures to workers and members of the public, the NRC 
staff considered the primary pathway for an irretrievable sealed source 
to reach the surface would be in the drilling mud associated with 
drilling operations that struck the source (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML23158A257). In the 1981 analysis, the NRC staff assumed a 
conservative probability of 50 percent for striking an abandoned source 
but recognized that the actual probability was likely much lower. 
ProTechnics identified three barriers and items that would reduce the 
potential for its sealed source to be struck, (1) mechanical hardware 
within the well, (2) the orientation and location of the sealed source, 
and (3) administrative items (e.g., a permanent identification placard 
at the wellhead, an annual contact with the well owner, and involvement 
in the final well abandonment planning stages). The NRC staff agrees 
that these barriers and items would tend to reduce the probability of 
striking ProTechnics' irretrievable sealed source to be substantially 
below 50 percent.
    Despite this expected low probability of actually striking 
ProTechnics' irretrievable sealed source, the NRC staff considered the 
radiation exposure to operators and members of the public on the 
drilling rig should the source be struck and the source contents 
brought to the surface. In the 1981 risk analysis, the NRC staff 
considered the potential dose rates on the drill rig from a variety of 
sources (e.g., Cesium-137, Americium-241, Cobalt-60, Iridium-192) and 
determined that the worst-case scenario would result in a total 
population dose of 1.3 person-rem. The NRC staff stated that this 
radiological impact would be comparable with the exposure allowed for a 
low probability release of radioactive material from products 
containing exempt quantities. The NRC staff further noted that its risk 
analysis did not reflect intervening shielding on the drill rig or any 
shielding that would be provided by the aqueous nature of the drilling 
mud, both of which would further reduce any exposure.
    For these reasons, the NRC staff considers the potential 
radiological impacts of ProTechnics' proposed exemption request to 
abandon its irretrievable sealed source in the Gulf of Mexico well to 
be minimal and not significant.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    An alternative to the proposed action is the no-action alternative. 
Under the no-action alternative, the NRC would not grant ProTechnics' 
alternate abandonment procedures for the irretrievable sealed source in 
the Gulf of Mexico well. With the no-action alternative, ProTechnics 
would be required to follow the procedures in 10 CFR 39.15(a)(5) for 
abandonment of the sealed source. The procedures in 10 CFR 39.15(a)(5) 
were previously analyzed by the NRC staff and determined to result in 
no significant environmental impacts (ADAMS Accession No. ML003690504).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    Given the expectation that the irretrievable source would remain 
within the well and the unlikelihood that the source would be struck by 
future drilling activities, the NRC staff has determined that the 
proposed action would have no effect on threatened or endangered 
species or their critical habitat. Therefore, no consultation is 
required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Likewise, NRC 
staff has determined that the proposed action is not the type of 
activity that has the potential to cause effects on historic 
properties. Therefore, consistent with 36 CFR 800.3(a)(1), no 
consultation is required under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has concluded that, given the orientation and 
location of the sealed source, the mechanical barriers in the Gulf of 
Mexico well, and ProTechnics' identified administrative items, there 
would be no impacts to land use, transportation, geology and soils, 
surface water and ground water, ecology, air quality, noise, historic 
and cultural resources, socioeconomics, visual and scenic resources, 
and waste management. Additionally, the NRC staff evaluated the 
potential radiological impacts and found those to be minimal and not 
significant.
    The NRC staff has prepared this EA to evaluate the potential 
environmental impacts of the proposed action to approve ProTechnic's 
alternate abandonment procedures for an irretrievable sealed source in 
a Gulf of Mexico well. Based on this EA, NRC has concluded that there 
are no significant environmental impacts and the exemption request does 
not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. 
Accordingly, the NRC has determined that a FONSI is appropriate. In 
accordance with 10 CFR 51.32(a)(4), this FONSI incorporates the EA set 
forth in this notice by reference.
    The final EA is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML23195A051.

    Dated: July 20, 2023.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michelle S. Rome,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Materials Branch, Division of 
Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2023-15721 Filed 7-24-23; 8:45 am]
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