Project Rulison and the economic potental of nuclear gas stimulation

Conference · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1970 · API Prod-Div. Mid-Continent Dist. Spring Mtg. Prepr.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5141696

Coffer, H F ^[1]; Bray, B G; Frank, G W

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1. CER Geonuclear Corp.

Project Rulison was designed to use underground nuclear technology to determine the potential of this technique for commercial development of the Mesaverde Formation of the Rulison field in Garfield County, Colorado. A method of stimulation, far greater in magnitude and efficiency than conventional hydraulic fracturing, is needed to recover the gas at economic rates. Detailed testing of the Project Rulison exploratory well, R-EX, provided data on geology, hydrology, and reservoir characteristics. The data obtained from the testing have been used to determine the flow capacity of the Mesaverde reservoir. The reservoir characteristics were then used as input data to make predictions of post-shot reservoir performance in the nuclear stimulated well, using a radial, unsteady state gas flow computer model. The calculations show that rates of production will be sufficient, if costs can be controlled. Costs of nuclear stimulation must be drastically reduced for a commercial process. The total Project Rulison cost will be approx. $5.9 million. (22 refs.)

• OSTI ID: 5141696
• Journal Information: API Prod-Div. Mid-Continent Dist. Spring Mtg. Prepr.; (United States), Vol. 851-44-G; Conference: API Prod. Div. Mid-Continent Dist. Spring Mtg., Wichita, KS, USA, 1970
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
NATURAL GAS WELLS
EXPLOSIVE STIMULATION
RULISON EVENT
COMMERCIALIZATION
EXPLORATORY WELLS
FLOW MODELS
FRACTURING
GEOLOGY
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
COMMINUTION
ENGINEERING
EXPLOSIONS
MANDREL OPERATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PLOWSHARE PROJECT
STIMULATION
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
030900* - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)
450201 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives- Containment