MANAGEMENT OF NORM IN THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY Akpojevwa Tega Naomi, october 2016 | Page 47

derivate from the non-radioactive elements associated with NORM waste such
as hydrocarbons or toxic metals.
Owing to the large amount of material exceeding the recommended clearance
levels, NORM in oil and gas production represents a considerable waste
problem for the industry. The exemption and clearance levels recommended by
the IAEA and the NNRA are based on limiting the annual doses to members of
the public to 10 µSv. According to the International Basic Safety Standards, the
recommended exemption values for the most important naturally occurring
radionuclides that occur in NORM waste from oil and gas production are 10
Bq/g for 226 Ra, 228Ra and 210 Pb and 1 Bq/g for 228 Th.
The objective is to establish safe, practical and cost effective permanent
disposal protocols for NORM waste that provide adequate protection to both
human health and the environment. A permanent disposal protocol should be
designed to prevent contamination of natural resources such as underground
water, or contamination of soil that could in future become residential or agri-
cultural areas even although the area is currently remote or uninhabited.
Methods of NORM disposal currently used in the oil & gas industry are:
• Land based management
• Salt cavern disposal
• Offshore discharge
• Land fill
• Underground injection
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