Radioactive elements detected in crude oil from volcanic areas

Abstract

In the geological structures containing crude oil and associated gases and located in areas where volcanic activity has been detected, radioactive substances and minerals are contained both in the structure of the reservoir waters and in the impurities related to the composition of the extracted crude oil. They are present during the extraction of crude oil and associated gases and affect human health and environmental safety. Radioactive elements have been detected in reservoir waters, in impurities associated with crude oil, and especially during the processing of drilling fluids (the separation of detritus sourced from geological strata from the used drilling fluid). Other radioactive elements were also detected in the areas polluted with oil and drilling waste. In order to determine the radioactivity level of crude oil originating from the area of volcanic activity of the Romanian Mountains, crude oil samples were collected from the oil field in a one-year analysis. The collected samples were analysed to determine their physical-chemical structure. The reservoir water associated with these samples and the minerals separated from the crude oil following their solvent extraction were also analysed. Radioactive elements were detected using X-ray spectrometry, and their chemical structures are also discussed.