Project Plowshare
Nuclear tests
The U.S. conducted 27 PNE shots in conjunction with other, weapons-related, test series.

Project Plowshare

Section Title: Nuclear tests
Table Section Text: The U.S. conducted 27 PNE shots in conjunction with other, weapons-related, test series.

Test name	Date	Location	Type	Depth of Burial	Medium	Yield (kilotons)	Test series	Objective

Gnome	December 10, 1961	Carlsbad, New Mexico	Shaft	1,185 ft (361 m)	Salt	3	Nougat	A multipurpose experiment designed to provide data concerning: (1) heat generated from a nuclear explosion; (2) isotopes production; (3) neutron physics; (4) seismic measurements in a salt medium; and (5) design data for developing nuclear devices specifically for peaceful uses.

Sedan	July 6, 1962	Nevada Test Site	Crater	635 ft (194 m)	Alluvium	104	Storax	A excavation experiment in alluvium to determine feasibility of using nuclear explosions for large excavation projects, such as harbors and canals; provide data on crater size, radiological safety, seismic effects, and air blast.

Anacostia	November 27, 1962	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	747 ft (227.7 m)	Tuff	5.2	Storax	A device-development experiment to produce heavy elements and provide radiochemical analysis data for the planned Coach Project.

Kaweah	February 21, 1963	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	745 ft (227.1 m)	Alluvium	3	Dominic I and II	A device-development experiment to produce heavy elements and provide technical data for the planned Coach Project.

Tornillo	October 11, 1963	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	489 ft (149 m)	Alluvium	0.38	Niblick	A device-development experiment to produce a clean nuclear explosive for excavation applications.

Klickitat	February 20, 1964	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	1,616 ft (492.6 m)	Tuff	70	Niblick	A device-development experiment to produce an improved nuclear explosive for excavation applications.

Ace	June 11, 1964	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	862 ft (262.7 m)	Alluvium	3	Niblick	A device-development experiment to produce an improved nuclear explosive for excavation applications.

Dub	June 30, 1964	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	848 ft (258.5 m)	Alluvium	11.7	Niblick	A device-development experiment to study emplacement techniques.

Par	October 9, 1964	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	1,325 ft (403.9 m)	Alluvium	38	Whetstone	A device-development experiment designed to increase the neutron flux needed for the creation of heavy elements.

Handcar	November 5, 1964	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	1,332 ft (406 m)	Dolomite (carbonate rock)	12	Whetstone	An emplacement experiment to study the effects of nuclear explosions in carbonate rock.

Sulky	November 5, 1964	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	90 ft (27.4 m)	Basalt	0.9	Whetstone	An excavation experiment to explore cratering mechanics in hard, dry rock and study dispersion patterns of airborne radionuclides released under these conditions.

Palanquin	April 14, 1965	Nevada Test Site	Crater	280 ft (85.3 m)	Rhyolite	4.3	Whetstone	An excavation experiment in hard, dry rock to study dispersion patterns of airborne radionuclides released under these conditions.

Templar	March 24, 1966	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	495 ft (150.9 m)	Tuff	0.37	Flintlock	To develop an improved nuclear explosive for excavation applications.

Vulcan	June 25, 1966	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	1,057 ft (322.2 m)	Alluvium	25	Flintlock	A heavy element device-development test to evaluate neutron flux performance.

Saxon	July 11, 1966	Nevada Test Site	1.2 kt	502 ft (153 m)	Tuff	1.2	Latchkey	A device-development experiment to improve nuclear explosives for excavation applications.

Simms	November 6, 1966	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	650 ft (198.1 m)	Alluvium	2.3	Latchkey	A device-development experiment to evaluate clean nuclear explosives for excavation applications.

Switch	June 22, 1967	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	990 ft (301.8 m)	Tuff	3.1	Latchkey	A device-development experiment to evaluate clean nuclear explosives for excavation applications.

Marvel	September 21, 1967	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	572 ft (174.3 m)	Alluvium	2.2	Crosstie	An emplacement experiment to investigate underground phenomenology related to emplacement techniques.

Gasbuggy	December 10, 1967	Farmington, New Mexico	Shaft	4,240 ft (1,292 m)	Sandstone, gas bearing formation	29	Crosstie	A gas stimulation experiment to investigate the feasibility of using nuclear explosives to stimulate a low-permeability gas field; first Plowshare joint government-industry nuclear experiment to evaluate an industrial application.

Cabriolet	January 26, 1968	Nevada Test Site	Crater	170 ft (51.8 m)	Rhyolite	2.3	Crosstie	An excavation experiment to explore cratering mechanics in hard, dry rock and study dispersion patterns of airborne radionuclides released under these conditions.

Buggy	March 12, 1968	Nevada Test Site	Crater	135 ft (41.1 m)	Basalt	5 at 1.1 each	Crosstie	A five-detonation excavation experiment to study the effects and phenomenology of nuclear row-charge excavation detonations.

Stoddard	September 17, 1968	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	1,535 ft (467.9 m)	Tuff	31	Bowline	A device-development experiment to develop clean nuclear explosives for excavation applications.

Schooner	December 8, 1968	Nevada Test Site	Crater	365 ft (111.3 m)	Tuff	30	Bowline	An excavation experiment to study the effects and phenomenology of cratering detonations in hard rock.

Rulison	September 10, 1969	Grand Valley, Colorado	Shaft	8,425 ft (2,567.9 m)	Sandstone	43	Mandrel	A gas stimulation experiment to investigate the feasibility of using nuclear explosives to stimulate a low-permeability gas field; provide engineering data on the use of nuclear explosions for gas stimulation; on changes in gas production and recovery rates; and on techniques to reduce the radioactive contamination to the gas.

Flask -Green, -Yellow, -Red	May 26, 1970	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	Green, 1736 ft (529.2 m); Yellow, 1,099 ft (335 m); Red, 499 ft (152.1 m)	Green, Tuff; Yellow and Red, Alluvium	Green, 105; Yellow, 0.9; Red, 0.4 tons	Mandrel	A three-detonation device development experiment to develop improved nuclear explosives for excavation applications.

Miniata	July 8, 1971	Nevada Test Site	Shaft	1,735 ft (528.8 m)	Tuff	83	Grommet	To develop a clean nuclear explosive for excavation applications.

Rio Blanco -1, -2, -3	May 17, 1973	Rifle, Colorado	Shaft	5,840 ft (1,780 m); 6,230 ft (1,898.9 m); 6,690 ft (2,039.1 m)	Sandstone, gas-bearing formation	3 at 33 each	Toggle	A gas stimulation experiment to investigate the feasibility of using nuclear explosives to stimulate a low-permeability gas field; develop technology for recovering natural gas from reservoirs with very low permeability.

Sentence(s)

The first PNE was Project Gnome, conducted on December 10, 1961, in a salt at Carlsbad, New Mexico.

final_sentence: The first PNE was Project Gnome, conducted on December 10, 1961, in a salt at Carlsbad, New Mexico.