PREDICTION OF UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSION EFFECTS IN WAGON WHEEL SANDSTONE

摘要

Project Wagon Wheel is a joint study by Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (LRL) and El Paso Natural Gas Co. (EPNG) to investigate the technical concept of nuclear stimulation of a natural gas reservoir located near Pinedale, Wyoming. This paper presents the results of computer calculations, simulating the explosion effects, based on equation-of-state meas¬urements of core samples taken from EPNG Wagon Wheel No. 1 hole at a depth between 8,000 to 12,000 ft.nThe shear failure envelope for Wagon Wheel sandstone is almost identical to that for Hoggar granite. A calculation for Wagon Wheel sandstone for one-kt energy at a depth of 300 m duplicated cavity radi¬us, shear fracture radius, stressed region, peak particle velocity, and peak accelera¬tion data measured from the nuclear ex¬periments conducted in the Hoggar granite by the French. The conclusion drawn from this comparison is that the Hoggar granite chimneys and regions of increased perme¬ability provide a reasonable model to assume for Wagon Wheel.