Evaluation of Natural Radioactive Concentration Levels in a Selection of Some Fauqi Oil Drilling Wells in Maysan Governorate, Iraq

Abstract

From the FQCS-80H and FQCS-86D wells in southern Maysan, Iraq, the concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radionuclides were measured for soil and rock at various depths. Utilizing an HPGe detector with energy resolution and a high-resolution gamma spectrometry system of (≤1.8 keV) for the 133 MeV gamma transition of 60Co. The soil and rock samples were collected at a depths range of 150–2800 m. Formation and the depths for the samples were determined. Comparable measurements from other countries were used to compare the natural radionuclide activity concentrations. The average activity for the isotopes 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K was 12.17 Bq/kg, 11.06 Bq/kg, and 373.42 Bq/kg, respectively. The average radium equivalent activities and gamma dose rate were 56.75 and 27.81 nGy/h, respectively. All measurements were determined to be below their respective allowed limits (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K).