Long, continuous, cylindrical charges of high explosives are considered as alternatives to nuclear explosives or massive hydraulic fracturing for the stim¬ulation of gas production in tight gas for¬mations. The calculational method was that used previously for nuclear stimula¬tion;it was verified by comparison of the calculated and observed gas production from Rulison. The calculations indicate that charges of high explosives 24 inches in diameter and 2000 feet in length (the height assumed for the gas-bearing sands) detonated in four wells per section would be comparable in cost and effectiveness to estimates for one well stimulated by three 100-kiloton nuclear explosions. Stimula¬tion by high explosives would require spe¬cial development of the explosives (prob¬ably with ammonium nitrate as the base) to be suitably sensitive, temperature-resistant, and compatible with the gas-reservoir rocks;the required work appears to be straightforward, however.
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