preview

Project Rulison Research Paper

Decent Essays

On September 10, 1969, the Atomic Energy Commission detonated a 40-kiloton nuclear bomb to break loose natural gas from the sandstone formations. The detonation took part, here, in Battlement Mesa, only 8,426 below the ground surface. According to scientists, the project was successful to some extent, but did it cause a minor upset in the safety of our community. The purpose of Project Rulison was to find more cost-efficient means of liberating natural gas from underground regions, and they did. The test released 10 times more gas than traditional methods. Although scientists extracted 455 million cubic feet of natural gas, the gas was too radioactive to be used. So, scientists kept drilling, taking measurements, and even started a new project.

Get Access