Beneficiation of geological formations by means of underground nuclear detonations and the utilization of water in conjunction therewith

Claim 2

A process according to claim 1 wherein the extraneous liquid is water, the explosion is a fusion explosion and the resulting contaminants comprise tritiated water.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 3 wherein the extraneous water is introduced into the formation prior to said explosion at a location which is above the point of detonation and within that portion of the formation which becomes fragmented by said explosion.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 3 wherein the extraneous water is conducted to an upper portion of said chimney of fragmented rock subsequent to the explosion.

Claim 5

In a process wherein an underground reservoir for water having an acceptable radioactivity level is created by a subterranean nuclear detonation in a geological formation which is traversed by a subterranean aquifer and wherein radioactive contaminants are released by said detonation, the improvement which comprises placing a nuclear explosive in said formation at a depth sufficient to avoid venting to the atmosphere and such that upon detonation of the explosive and creation of a nuclear cavity prior to formation cave-in said aquifer is located above said cavity, detonating said explosive and thereby causing fragmentation of the formation thereabove and formation of a cylinder of permeable broken rock with a gas phase between the broken rock extending from the point of detonation up into said aquifer, whereby water from the aquifer descends through said cylinder scrubbing the said gas phase and accumulating in a lower portion thereof, drilling a recovery well from the surface to where said water and radioactive contaminants contained therein accumulate, pumping said accumulated contaminated water from said cylinder until the radiation level of the removed water drops below a predetermined acceptable value, and thereafter accumulating acceptably pure water in said cylinder for later recovery.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 6 wherein contaminated water is pumped from the cylinder at a greater rate than water from the aquifer descends through the cylinder, whereby the contaminated water is substantially depleted from the cylinder before acceptable pure water is permitted to accumulate therein.

Claim 7

In a process for fragmenting a natural gas bearing geological formation by an underground nuclear explosioN which is set off under nonventing conditions and produces a roof-topped underground chimney of rock fragments with a gas phase in the void spaces therebetween and releases radioactive contaminants in the formation, the improvement which comprises: introducing extraneous liquid into the formation above the explosion point such that the liquid after the explosion and consequent chimney formation descends downwardly through the formation, scrubs radioactive contaminants therefrom and accumulates at a lower portion of said chimney, and removing natural gas relatively free from radio-active contaminant from an upper portion of the formation after the formation has been fragmented and the gas therein has been scrubbed with said descending liquid.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 8 wherein the extraneous scrubbing liquid is water.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 8 wherein the contaminants contain tritium, the extraneous scrubbing liquid is water, and the accumulated contaminant-containing water is removed from the formation for safe disposal at the surface separate from the natural gas product.