Radioactive Drillstem???

[Geezy Rider]

My SIL tore down some corrals made of used 2 3/8ths drillstem off of my old place and took it down to the scrap yard to sell it and the guy whips out a Geiger counter and says it's hot/radioactive and he can't accept it.
Anybody else incounter this?
Is this dangerous?
How does it become radioactive?
If I can't sell it then how can the steel yard sell it to me?
What can I do with it now?
I've been using this stuff for years, should I be concerned?
Sorry for so many questions but this is pretty wild to me.

Anybody know where I can get a geiger counter cheap?

[gandergitter]

Used drill stem can beCOME RADIOACTIVE WHEN DRILLING BY OMING INTO contact with NORM- Naturally occuring Radioactive material. Its a lot more common than folks realize in the oil field.Personally, Id try to find out how ho tit is and wouldnt worry to much until I knew.

[TexasBob]

Did the corral glow at night? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Texastaxi]

Sell it on Craigs list

[Allen]

I don't think a cheap geiger counter exists.

[Allen]

Although now that I did a google search they aren't near as bad as I would have thought. I wonder how accurate they are?

[Txjourneyman]

find a redneck country scrap yard that doesn't have a gieger counter.

[Skinny]

find a redneck country scrap yard that doesn't have a gieger counter.

x2

[Maddox]

Basically, anything and everything we put down a hole while drilling comes back as "hazardous waste" by most govt definitions. I would bet its at such a low level that it wouldn't matter. Im surprised he didn't do that just to try and offer her much less for the metal.

[Stolle]

Yep! Every Subsea Tree that returns for refurb has to be tested for NORM before it is unloaded from the truck.

[Rick]

I deal with this all the time. Depending on the well, tubulars can become "hot" with NORM (as described above). It is not dangerous, but it will read a bit of radiation, usually in the .01 to .05 mR/hr range. But the scrap yards use gieger counters that read in the micro Rem range, and they scan everything that comes thru. They pick up small amounts of radiation that are nowhere near dangerous, but if thier gieger counter beeps, they don't accept it. They don't know anything about radiation levels, they just listen for a beep.

[STICKIT]

Sat at the US check station in Falcon Heights for 4 hours one day for a "radiation threat". I was bringing feeder tripods back from Mexico that were made from drill pipe. Those little white pillars that you drive through every time you enter the US from Mexico must detect radiation.

[Montec man]

North Korea called.....they want your drill stem!

[recar]

this would explain the 3rd arm on your son and your dog having 2 tails....

[Scout Man]

Surface equipment can also become contaminated with NORM so be careful when buying any oilfield scrap that has not been tested.