Rio Blanco experiment

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1974 · AIChE Symp. Ser.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7016789

Luetkehans, G R

Project Rio Blanco is a joint government-industry experiment in using nuclear explosives to stimulate the flow of tightly held natural gas from deep formations which cannot currently be economically produced by conventional technology. CER Geonuclear Corp. of Las Vegas, Nev., was the industrial sponsor and the AEC's Nevada Operations Office at Las Vegas represented the federal government. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Livermore, Calif., was responsible for the design, emplacement, and detonation of the nuclear explosives. Continental Oil Co. assumed the role of Unit Operator after the detonation and conducted the reentry and testing operations. Project Rio Blanco used 3 nuclear explosives spaced vertically in a single well bore and detonated simultaneously. The effectiveness of the detonations in stimulating the production of natural gas is to be determined by producing gas through a reentry well to estimate the various parameters affecting long-term production characteristics.

• Research Organization: CER Geonuclear Corp
• OSTI ID: 7016789
• Report Number(s): CONF-740311-
• Journal Information: AIChE Symp. Ser.; (United States), Vol. 10B; Conference: American Institute of Chemical Engineers National meeting, Tulsa, OK, USA, 10 Mar 1974
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
NATURAL GAS WELLS
EXPLOSIVE STIMULATION
RIO BLANCO EVENT
DETONATIONS
EMPLACEMENT
ENHANCED RECOVERY
NATURAL GAS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPLOSIONS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PLOWSHARE PROJECT
RECOVERY
STIMULATION
TOGGLE OPERATION
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
030900* - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)
450201 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives- Containment