Peaceful uses of nuclear weapons

When a nuclear explosion saved a gas field and stopped a catastrophe.

In 1966, a unique case of peaceful use of nuclear weapons occurred in the USSR.

An uncontrolled fire broke out at the Urta-Bulak gas field in Uzbekistan, which could not be extinguished by traditional methods.

The flames raged for almost three years, and the daily gas losses were enormous.

To stop the gas release, Soviet engineers decided to use an underground nuclear explosion.

A 30-kiloton charge was placed at a depth of 1,500 meters, where it compressed the rocks and completely sealed the well.

Radiation contamination was avoided due to the depth of the explosion and the peculiarities of the local geology.