Show Oil Shale Atomic Blast I Agreement Reached v Negotiations have been concluded concluded concluded con con- for a a proposed co contract between the Federal Government Government Govern Govern- ment and Industry to detonate a nil nuclear clear explosive deep under underground underground underground ground in Colorado in an experiment experiment ex ex- to stimulate natural gas recovery The terms of the proposed contract now are subject subject subject sub sub- to review and approval by byall byall byall all parties to It THE GOVERNMENT was represented in the negotiations by the Atomic Energy Commission Com Com- mission and the Department of the Interior The experiments experiment's industrial sponsor is Austral Oil Company Incorporated of Houston Texas A nuclear engineering engineering en en- firm lear Corporation of Las Vegas would act as program manager manager manager man man- ager for the experiment called called call caU- ed Project Rulison Rullson Project Rulison Rullson would involve ve the detonation of a 40 40 kilo kiloton kilo kilo- ton the equivalent of tons of TNT nuclear explosive in a gas gas bearing bearing formation formation formation form form- some feet underground underground under under- ground in the Rulison Rullson gas field about 15 miles southwest of Rifle Colorado Th The explosion Is expected to fracture large volumes of rock In which the gas is tightly trapped thus stimulating production and ultimate ultimate ul ul- recovery of the gas RULISON is the first nuclear stimulation project proposed for a gas reservoir that reservoir that could support commercial production product lion tion Rulison Rullson would provide some of the additional technical technical tech tech- Information or a required to evaluate a the economic feasibility feasibility sl of nuclear stimulation Under the terms of the pro proposed proposed posed contract Austral would provide all work and ands and s services for the project except for the nuclear explosive and certain related services such as explosive explosive sive timing and firing and nuclear nuclear nu clear operational safety pro pro- These would be the responsibility of u the e It Is expected the detonation detonation deton detonation could take place in late spring 1969 |