Summary of U.S. PNE experience

Important features of the U.S. Project Plowshare program, established in 1959 to investigate possible uses for peaceful nuclear explosives (PNE) are summarized. The program consisted of a strong research and development effort, laboratory experiments, and actual nuclear field tests. The government officially terminated Project Plowshare in 1977. Only natural-gas stimulation and large-scale excavation were actually field-tested. The technical feasibility for gas stimulation was established but economic viability remains uncertain. The technical and economic feasibility of nuclear excavations were not demonstrated for large-scale projects. Special explosive designs were found to be necessary for most potential PNE applications, and two such explosive designs were developed and used for the gas stimulation and excavation experiments. More research and development would be needed to prove any peaceful application of nuclear explosives in the U.S