me
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such releases.
Much work is also being done to design explosives which
will product minimal amounts of tritium.
Part F Question 17
How many curies are involved per 25 kiloton explosive?
Or in a ko kiloton
shot like RULISON?
How can the environmental effects be considered unless
we know?
How can the benefit be compared with the risk?
Part F Answer Question 17
Tritium and krypton-85 are the principal radioactive contaminants
related to gas and oll recovery, and tritium is potentially the greater
of the two.
Approximately 40,000 curies of tritium and 350 curies of
krypton-85 were produced by the 26 kiloton GASBUGGY explosion.
The 40
kiloton RULISON explosion produced an estimated 10,000 curies of tritium
and about 960 curies of krypton-85.
Our exper lence with GASBUGGY has shown
that only 5% of the tritium so produced remains in the gaseous phase to
be diluted and swept to the surface by the uncontaminated natural gas
flowing from the surrounding formation.
Subsequent dilution of the gas
by the flaring operation and atmospheric diffusion has resulted in barely
detectable low concentrations of tritium (about 2.8 X 107}3 curies per
cubic foot) at distances of only 1/2 mile from the site. Krypton-85 concentrations were not measured at these distances, since sensors closer
to the site detected no krypton-85 concentrations above background.
With this knowledge of concentrations, we are evaluating the effect
of such levels of radionuclides on the environment and the resultant
radiation dose to individuals.
To compare the benefits and possible risks
associated with the use of nuclearly stimulated natural gas one must also