The Rod Has Been Found! Halliburton’s Radioactive Tool Discovered At Last
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The radioactive rod can be harmful if you experience prolonged exposure to it, the government says.
A radioactive rod belonging to Halliburton has finally been found.
The, rod, which had been missing since September 11, is used for hydraulic fracturing, aka fracking, to find the best areas of rock to break up and drill for oil and gas. As we reported a few weeks ago, the rod contained americium-241/beryllium, or Am-241, classified as a ‘Category 3′ source of radiation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It’s dangerous if you’re exposed to it for prolonged periods.
The rod was lost by a three-man team of Halliburton oilfield workers. They had searched for weeks for it. Halliburton even turned to the National Guard for help. Teams searched an area of 130 square miles between the well site in Pecos and Odessa.
Weeks went by, and nothing. Then late Thursday night, the rod turned up.
A spokesperson for Halliburton tells The Guardian that the rod was found on a road some seven miles from that well site in Pecos. “Midland County sheriff Gary Painter said an oilfield pumper recognized the device from fliers that had been handed out in the area,” the Guardian says. It was the first time in years that one of these radioactive rods has been lost.
Halliburton had previously offered an undisclosed reward for whoever found the rod, so perhaps that pumper is in for a payday.