UK-based firm ASCO said Monday it had signed four new contracts for Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) decontamination and disposal services with major operators, worth more than £10 million (around $11,8 million.)
ASCO said that its subsidiary, NORM Solutions, had won multi-year contracts with four "leading operators" to provide safe management and decontamination of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) on North Sea installations as they are decommissioned. It did not say exactly who the clients were.
"NORM Solutions will handle the receipt and decontamination of all types of offshore materials and equipment, safely cleaning the items to be returned offshore or recycled. They will also handle NORM-contaminated sludges and liquids, repackaging these for safe onward transport and disposal. The contracts will be further supported by deploying ASCO's radiation protection supervisors, who manage the offshore processes required to identify and safely store and offload any contaminated material," ASCO said.
ASCO’s NORM decontamination facility, based in Aberdeen, is authorized by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
ASCO expects the ramp-up in offshore decommissioning activity in the UK, coupled with a renewed focus on exploration and production, to drive increase in demand for NORM Solutions' services.