Kill The Blow Out Well Using Nuclear Bomb

We’ve found this vidoe on Youtube and this is one of the most interesting stories of well control. This is about how to kill the blow out well using a nuclear bomb. We are not sure when it was happened but from what you can see, this was quite long time ago when directional technology was not good enough to successfully drill a relief well. Please see the video below and we already added the footage transcript for further learning.

Transcript for learning – How the Soviets stopped well blowouts

A nuclear explosion puts out a gas-well blaze. This gas-well fire roared out of control at one of the natural gas deposits in this country. The giant torch consumed nearly 10 million cubic meters of valuable fuel a day. A full scale battle was launched against the roaring infernal.

First, an attempt was made to cool off the near shaft area by water. Jets of water cut off the flame from the gas stream. Then, part of the gas was diverted with a help of a structure directed over the well. Here, gas is being burnt at draw-offs. But it proved utterly impossible to lower piping into the well to bring it under control. There was a sudden pressure surge in the well and gas started to leak out into permeable geological strata. Dangerous amounts of hydrogen sulfate began to escape. This created a threat of air contamination over a big, populated area.

Attempts to plug the well by conventional means have all failed. Then, it was decided to choke the well by a contained underground nuclear explosion. When project materials were ready, a special digging rig was set up nearby. This was used to sink a deep shaft at an angle to the gas well. A nuclear explosion was to be set off in plastic geological material below gas impermeable strata.

When the emplacement of the charge was over, the shaft was plugged with concrete. Preparations for the blast are near in completion. Machines and equipment have all been moved to safety, 5 kilometers away from the zero area. Now the flame and the nuclear charge are left alone, face-to-face. The explosion is only seconds away. The camera films the impact of the detonation. And the gas flame beings to subside.

Let us now take a look at what has actually happened deep down below. The shock wave of the explosion, compassed the surrounding geological material and pushed it aside, blocking the flow of gas. The well was plugged by crashed rock. It took only 23 seconds to do the job. A radiation survey of the area failed to detect any activity. And unusual quire has set in. Soon, the dead well was filled in with dirt. A contained underground nuclear explosion has helped to save large quantities of valuable gas for our national economy.