About
In 1973 as part of Project Plowshare the US Department of Energy detonated a set of three nuclear bombs down a natural gas well at this site north of Rifle, Colorado.
The project was intended to demonstrate peaceful uses of nuclear weapons by producing natural gas, but was generally regarded as a failure. Surface monitoring in the decades since the experiment have found no elevated radiation.
Each 33-kiloton bomb was less than 8 inches wide to fit down a standard well, but over 30 feet long and were placed 5,838, 6,230, and 6,689 feet below ground (below sea level).
Know Before You Go
Accessable by vehicle that can handle rough abd dirt roads, as long as it hasn't rained recently.
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Published
June 25, 2026
