Fun Facts about US Petroleum: 1967 - When Nuclear Bombs Were Used to Frack Natural Gas

In December 1967, long before hydraulic fracturing became a household term, the U.S. government took fracking to an explosive new level—literally. Project Gasbuggy, part of the Atomic Energy Commission’s ambitious Plowshare program, aimed to unleash natural gas trapped deep within shale using a 29-kiloton nuclear bomb.

Scientists believed nuclear blasts could offer a "bigger bang for the buck" than nitroglycerin for fracking natural gas wells in the late 1960s. (Illustration courtesy Los Alamos Lab) Photo Credit: aoghs.org

You read that right. Scientists from the Atomic Energy Commission, U.S. Bureau of Mines, and El Paso Natural Gas Company believed nuclear explosions could revolutionize natural gas production, providing “a bigger bang for the buck” compared to traditional methods like nitroglycerin or dynamite.

The experimental blast took place 4,240 feet underground near Farmington, New Mexico. It created a massive molten glass-lined cavern, collapsing immediately into a rubble-filled chimney 333 feet tall and 160 feet wide. The result? A significant increase in gas production—295 million cubic feet, to be exact—along with some unintended radioactive contamination (Tritium, anyone?).

Bigger Bang, Bigger Problems

Project Gasbuggy was just the first of three nuclear "fracking" tests, followed by Projects Rulison and Rio Blanco in Colorado. While the initial excitement was high—TIME magazine enthusiastically titled an article “Nuclear Energy: Good Start for Gasbuggy”—the experiments ultimately fizzled due to environmental and economic concerns. Turns out, radioactive natural gas isn’t a great selling point.

By 1975, after nearly $82 million invested and minimal returns, the Plowshare program ended. Today, a simple plaque in Carson National Forest commemorates the experiment, warning curious visitors not to dig around too much.

Project Gasbuggy, located in Carson National Forest, marked the first U.S. experiment in nuclear fracking, aiming to boost natural gas production. (Photo courtesy Department of Energy)

Meanwhile, across the globe, the Soviet Union conducted similar nuclear fracking tests known as Project NEVA. And guess what? They also concluded nuclear explosions weren't the future of natural gas production.

The Legacy Lives On

Although nuclear explosions proved impractical (and frankly, terrifying) as a means of extracting natural gas, these daring experiments highlighted the lengths scientists were willing to go to keep America's energy flowing. Thankfully, safer methods—like today's hydraulic fracturing—emerged, providing abundant energy without radioactive surprises.

A plaque at Carson National Forest stands as a quiet reminder: Project Gasbuggy—where peaceful nuclear explosions briefly collided with natural gas ambitions. (Photo courtesy AOGHS)

Fun Fact: One of the rigs used to drill these nuclear test wells, Parker Drilling Rig No. 114, later became an educational exhibit welcoming visitors along Route 66 in Elk City, Oklahoma.

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