Gasbuggy Project: Nuclear Test Creates Unusable Radioactive Gas in New Mexico
The Gasbuggy project, executed on December 10, 1967, involved a 29-kiloton nuclear explosion to stimulate natural gas production in New Mexico. Although the explosion increased gas flow, the presence of tritium and other radionuclides rendered the gas commercially unusable, leading to a total investment of $82 million without any sale of the produced gas.
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On December 10, 1967, a nuclear charge detonated 1,292 meters underground in New Mexico aimed to fracture a gas-rich sandstone layer. Despite an increase in gas flow, the gas was contaminated with tritium and radionuclides, making it unusable.
The project, part of Operation Plowshare, involved the Atomic Energy Commission and El Paso Natural Gas. Approximately 82 million dollars were invested without any commercial gas sales. The Department of Energy still oversees the site, with monitoring programs ending in 2015 due to no detected contamination. The incident highlights the challenges of using nuclear methods for gas extraction, leading to the evolution of non-nuclear hydraulic fracturing technologies.
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