Radiochemical characterization of produced water from two production offshore oilfields in Ghana

D O Kpeglo; J Mantero; E O Darko; G Emi-Reynolds; A Faanu; G Manjón; I Vioque; E H K Akaho; R Garcia-Tenorio

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.026

Radiochemical characterization of produced water from two production offshore oilfields in Ghana

J Environ Radioact. 2016 Feb:152:35-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.026. Epub 2015 Nov 28.

Authors

D O Kpeglo¹, J Mantero², E O Darko³, G Emi-Reynolds³, A Faanu³, G Manjón⁴, I Vioque⁴, E H K Akaho⁵, R Garcia-Tenorio⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana. Electronic address: dokoh@us.es.
² Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Salhgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
⁵ Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.
⁶ Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Seville, Spain.

PMID: 26630039
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.026

Abstract

Produced water from two Ghanaian offshore production oilfields has been characterized using alpha spectrometry after radiochemical separation, non-destructive gamma spectrometry and ICP-MS and other complimentary analytical tools. The measured concentrations of main NORM components were in the range of 6.2-22.3 Bq.L(-1), 6.4-35.5 Bq.L(-1), and 0.7-7.0 Bq.L(-1) for (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (224)Ra respectively. A good correlation between several physico-chemical parameters and radium isotopes was observed in each production oilfield. The radium concentrations obtained in this study for produced water from the two oilfields of Ghana are of radiological importance and hence there may be the need to put in place measures for future contamination concerns due to their bioavailability in the media and bioaccumulation characteristics. The results will assist in critical decision making for future set up of appropriate national guidelines for the management of NORM waste from the emerging oil and gas industry in Ghana.

Keywords: Anions; Cations; NORM; Oil industry; Produced water; Trace elements.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Atlantic Ocean
Ghana
Oil and Gas Fields
Oil and Gas Industry
Radiation Monitoring*
Radium / analysis*
Seawater / analysis
Seawater / chemistry*
Spectrometry, Gamma
Wastewater / analysis
Wastewater / chemistry*
Water Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*

Substances

Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Radioactive
Radium