UCRL-ID- 124799

Post-Piledriver Concept

M. D. Nordyke

June 26,1%7

or may not be those of the Laboratory. Work performed under the auspices of the. U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract W-7405-ENG-48.

DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employets, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use- fulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any spe- cific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufac- turer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, m m - mendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images; are produced from the best available original document.

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LAWRFNCE RADIATION LABORATORY P 0. BOX 808 (L-43) LIVERMORE .C&L!EQKNM

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Colonel J. J. Neuer f i r ec to r of T e s t Operations T e s t Command L.ESA, Sandia Base Albuqerque, New Mexico 8 m 5

Dear Colonel Neuer:

This w i l l confirm recent conversations between Dr. Gary Higgins, K-Division, University of California Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (W;) and yourself, and or members of your staff.

It is requested tha t LRL be permitted t o proceed w i t h Phases I and X I of the proposed work as defined i n the enclosed Preliminary Concept. As a first step, may we request that an LRL geologist be allowed t o conduct periodic brief inspections of the Piledriver re- entry work (on a non-interference basis, of course).

The enclosed concept was written some time ago, with the expecta- tion that we would perform our exploration a t the conclusion of the DOD work; therefore, the sentence (page 3, l i n e 23) beginning: "Phase I1 w i l l not be s tar ted u n t i l DOD Post-Piledriver activities are completed. can be deleted. I n the l i g h t of recent developments, the concept for Phase I1 w i l l undoubtedly be changed i n a number of aspects. example, the sampling and d r i l l i ng programs probably w i l l be modified as deemed reasonable. page 5, l i n e 15, will be available underground.

For

Certainly no such work area as mentioned 0 ~ 1

On the basis of verbal concurrence, we plan t o start the Phase 1 d r i l l i n g to locate the top of the chimney (or cavity) as soon a f t e r 1 July as a d r i l l r i g crew is available. After the Phase I pressuri- zation tests are complete, the Phase 11 re-entry exploration drift w i l l be extended t o penetrate the area above ground zero9 presumably a chimney of collapsed broken rock. 4s

w i l l submit c r i t e r i a for that phase and request the AM: to proceedd-/i/AI ,

0, C$>* G,.. , . r Upon your concurrence with doing the above proposed Phase I1 -L"-

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work simultaneously with your continuing underground operation, we =';?

*c / > '4.4 p I f, JI:, . _-- x. _ I _..I I -_ - - -

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To: Colonel J. J. Neuer 2

The technical contact for the LRL program will be David D. Rabb. If there are any questions or technical matters to discuss Further, please contact M r . Rabb at:

University of California Lawrence Radiation Laboratory K-Division, E43 P. 0. Box 808 Livermore, C a l i f o r n i a 94.550 Telephone: Area Code: 415, 447-ll00, Ext. 7717

We welcome t h i s opportunity results and we look forward t o a

t o share the exploration of Piledriver very interesting jo in t effor t .

c

Milo D. Nordyke Group Leader Field Task Planning & Evaluation K - D i v i s ion

MDN: bc

cc: Lt/Col €3. Robinson W. G. Flangas Dr. Glenn C. Werth, w/o enc D r . Gary H. Higgins, w/o e m D. D. Rabb, w/o enc

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PRELIMINARY CONCEPT

POST-PILEDRIVER EWLORATORY PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION

This i s t h e concept fo r a ser ies of post-shot investigations at t he

Piledriver s i te , Area 15, NTS, t o gain information on:

I. chimney geometry and associated w a l l rock conditions result ing

from a deeply buried (1500 f t ) nuclear explosion i n granite;

11. the characterist ics and distribution of rubble and radioactivity.

i n t he chimney;

data pertinent t o in-situ leaching. 111.

These categories define the three phases of t h i s proposal i n chronological

order. The technical programs under Phases I1 and 1x1 W i l l depend on t h e

resu l t s o f Phase I.

Presently, it is not known whether or not there has been a collapse

of the Piledriver cavity. If collapse occurred, the predicted dimensions

of t h e chimney, based on Hardhat experience, are expected t o be 250 f t in

diameter and 560 f t high. For the purpose of the following discussion,

it i s assumed t h i s condition exists.

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S W R Y OF PROPOSED WORK

The DOD re-entry is being made through the original Hardhat-Piledriver shaf't and ehplacement d r i f t .

backfilled with sand, it is expected tha t re-entry w i l l proceed rapidly

w i t h l i t t l e or no mining and ground support required. estimated t i m e of DOD completion is March 1967. as soon as possible, but Phase I1 w i l l not start un t i l af'ter the DOD has

Since the Piledriver s ta t ion and d r i r t were

The currently Phase I w i l l be in i t i a t ed

completed its post-shot study.

TECHNICAL PROGRAM

Pre-Phase I

A s a first step, it is proposed tha t an LRL geologist study the current DOD work as it progresses taking photos, assessing shaft damage 'and earth movements, and studying the geology and hydrology as related t o Plowsharevs interest i n Piledriver. An occational inspection of the Hard-

hat d r i f t can be made as the DOD work progresses downshaf't. There is no duplication of the work herein proposed and the DOD re-entry program.

Phase I

1. Determine the properties and geometry of the chimney. Height and radius Kill be defined by a l i m i t e d d r i l l i ng and coring program as follows:

One ver t ical 8-inch I D d r i l l hole, "A", from the surface w i l l

locate the chimney apex. stand 40 psig, used i n subsequent pressurization t e s t s , will be

instal led from the surface down t o and in to competent rock. dr i l l ing , permeability measurements of the country w a l l rock will be made: each 100-ft interval; b) expedient and convenient t o the d r i l l i ng operation. w i l l be required for t h i s par t of t he tests on drill hole "A".

Surface co l la r and casing able t o with-

During

a) for t he first 500 f't of drill hole, a t approximately from 500 f't on down, every 50 f t , as

No packers

. . . ... . .~.

- .x ~.

Increased permeability i s expected t o occur

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a t a depth of about

500 ft., and contact with the top of the chimney is estimated at

a depth of about 950 ft: If the results of the above integral

permeability are ambiguous, packers w i l l be used t o control t he

measurements of permeability of the hole i n 50-f't sections. As

l a t e as possible before the hole penetrates the chimney, low-

leve l gamma and temperature logs w i l l be run. Upon completion

of the hole, a chimney gas sample w i l l be secured; and density,

caliper, temperature, and damhole seismic logs W i l l be taken.

Depending upon w h a t appears appropriate, Caveman, Laval stereo-

borehole, and/or TTd camera sunreys w i l l then be made, and the

dimensions and fracture pattern a% the top of the chimney w i l l

be studied.

wall rock voids w i l l be measured by the Boardman pressurization

The chimney void volume and associated fractures and

technique, and the chimney volume cal&iLated before the chimney

is penetrated by the exploration d r i f t .

Phase I1 I

1. Re-entry Exploration D r i f t and D r i l l Holes B and C: . --

It is proposed as par t of Phase I1 of this project t o extend the

800-ft DOD Piledriver re-entry d r i f t horizontally about 325 f t t o a point

i n the center of the chimney 100 f t above the Piledriver zero point.

?iiase I1 w i l l depend on confirmation i n Phase I of the existence of' a

chimney. Phase I1 w i l l . not be s tar ted u n t i l DOD Post-Piledriver a c t i v i t i e s

are complete. As t h i s exploration d r i f t is being extended, photocraphs

w i l l be taken of the trorkLng face and side mUs i n order t o document the

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fracture pat tern i n the country rock near the chinney and vis ib ly observe

the s i z e dis t r ibut ion of the rubble i n place i n the chimney. Samples for

radiochemical analysis iJill be taken along t h i s d r i f t i n the chimney area

i n order t o es tabl ish tha t the chimney material is unclassified and can be

t reated as such.

About 200 ft of t h i s extension d r i f t would be in competent granite,

m-2 about 125 f t would be i n the rubble inside the chinney.

Hardhat re-entry, t h i s l a t t e r portion of the re-entry d r i f t would require

sp i l ing and f u l l ground support; the f i r s t 200 ft , on the other hand, could

probably be unsupported.

A s in t he

A standard cribbed 55" drawpoint w i l l be in s t a l l ed

a t or near the center l i n e of the chimney, above ground zero, f o r the purpose

of removing several hundred tons of crushed chimney rubble.

The re-entry exploration d r i f t w i l l locate and establ ish a point on the

chimney edge. Two short "PIX" holes, B and C, both originating from a dr i l l ing

s ta t ion i n the re-entry d r i f t will define the cavity bottom and upper shoulder

of the chimney (see Figure 1).

near t he lower edge of the cavity i n such a way as t o sample the region in-

s ide the chimney i n the puddle glass. Full core recovery i s requested from

both holes.

Lava1 camera surveys w i l l be run on holes B and C t o determine parting and

D r i l l hole B should penetrate the chimney

Part of B core may be classif ied material (see par t 4 t o follotr)o

f ractures i n t h a t area. In addition, the orientation of" selected sections

of cores from hole B from the region outside the chimney w i l l be determined.

During dr i l l ing , these holes will be pressurized, and permeability measurements

will be made under controlled conditions. Garma and temperature logs for

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hole 13 and C w i l l also be m. Comparison w i l l be made between these post-

shot data and s i m i l a r pre-shot data from both Hardhat and Piledriver.

2. Determination of the s ize dis t r ibut ion of the rubble i n the nuclear

chimney i n the area near the center, i n the area near t h e chimney

edge, and at some point higher i n the chimney w e l l above t h e

Piledriver zero point:

A t o t a l of twelve samples would be required; four. (A, B, C, and I?)

from each of the three locations. Each sample should weigh about twenty tons.

Two samples, C and D, from each from each location w i l l be set aside f o r

treatment as described under sections 3 and 4 t o follow.

The remaining two samples, A and B, from each location w i l l each be

separated in to the 16 (or fewer, as deemed reasonable) different-sized

fract ions used by the U. S . Army Corps of Ebgineers, WES, i n t h e i r screen

analyses of NTS rubble. The plus-"-inch fractions vi11 be hand-separated

and recorded p r io r to hoisting. Every e f for t should be made t o find a work

area i n the Pi ledr iver mined-out underground complex which w i l l provide open

space t o spread out each of these 20-ton samples, one at a t i m e , f o r photo-

graphy and limited hand sorting. If notp t h i s photography and sorting w i l l

take place on the swface i n a protected, covered area. The minus-?-inch

fract ions w i l l be separated by passage through a portable screening plant

at the surfacep with no mud loss or dusting, and with communition held t o a

m i n i m u m . Each fract ion must be air dried, weighed, and t rea ted separately,

and the s i z e d i s t r ibu t ion determined.

The samples f romthe area high i n the chimney ghould be taken only a f t e r

several hundred tons of rubble have been withdrawn from t h e drawpoint -- the

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exact moment t o be determined by the person responsible for technical direc-

t ion of t h i s project. This chimney rubble is not expected t o be security-

c lass i f ied material, nor should it be suff ic ient ly radioactive t o demand

special handling.

Two additional intermediate 20-ton samples w i l l be taken a t 40-ft

intervals, as the mining of the dr i f t progresses through the chimney rubble.

Likewise, one additional intermediate 20-ton sample w i l l be taken as the

draw-down of rubble progresses i n the center of the chimney. These reserve

samples w i l l be set aside and preserved for future reference, i f needed.

3. Determination of the gross radioactivity dis t r ibut ion i n

the chimney rubble.

One sample, C, from each location w i l l be dried, weighed and the plus

7-inch s izes separated by hand:

and ground and representative duplicate 100-gram samples prepared for analysis.

The minus 7-inch fractions w i l l be crushed

Likewise, the plus 7-inch fractions w i l l be,crushed and ground and represen-

t a t i v e duplicate 100-gram samples prebgred fo r analysis.

These 12 samples (duplicates for both plus and minus 7-inch fract ions

from the 3 locations) will be analyzed f o r Sr9.

w i l l be used t o determine other prominent radionuclides.

Gamma pulse height scan

4.

The fourth smple, D, from each location will be hosed o f f and thor-

Determinations of specific ac t iv i t i e s on surfaces of rubble:

oughly washed t o remove surface slimes and fines.

culate matter will be separated from the wash water9 dried, weighed, and

assayed i n order t o determine the radioactivit ies i n the slimes that can be

washed off and t o show which a re soluble.

This f ine ly divided par t i -

These data w i l l be important t o

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This dried parfhlate will be radiochemically analyzed forb strontium; pulse

height scan of this material will also be made for cesium and other gamma

activities. The soluble radionuclides in the wash water will also be deter-

nined . 5 . Determination of the device yield by radiochemical analyses of a

core. sample from Hole B:

Los Namos (C. Brown) has indicated that they will do the analysis

providing a proper sample is supplied.

performed by LRL in order that a material balance can be attempted.

A fission product analysis will be

6 . Measurement of the permeability of the country wall rock as a

function of distance from ground zero along the re-entry drift

adjacent to the chimney:

Forty 50-ft-deep, 3-inch-diameter long-holes, drilled in the sides of

the dr i f t , will be packed off, pressurized, and have flow measurements made.

These data will be compared with similar data from the Hardhat re-entry

drift previously reported (UCRL-14292, Boardman/Skrove) e

7. Determination of dcrofracturing, density, porosity, and permeability

of pieces of rubble and cores from different locations and distances

from zero point.

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, Phase 111

1- A series of laboratory-scale batch leaching .tests on selected Piledriver rubble samples t o establish:

a. acid consumption; b. so lubi l i ty of selected radioactive nuclides i n acid o r acid

ferric-sulphate leach; c. the resu l t s of film percolation leaching versus flood leaching; d. solubi l i ty of selected radionuclides in crude o i l ; e. the leachabili ty of the thorium contained i n granite and i f

i f can be recovered from chimney rubble by the ORNL solvent extraction process.

2. The design and estimation of the cost of a one-tenth scale commercial

p i lo t plant :

There w i l l be a Hazards Control safety program which w i l l include a continuing surveillance for radiological safety on all working areas underground.

continuously e

Activity levels of froresf' and solutions m u s t be monitored

TIME AND COST ESTIMATE

The dr i l l i ng of the ver t ica l Hole A from the surface shoulir start as soon as possible. The mining work would start when the DOD relinquishes

the re-entry d r i f t now being planned for the DOD post-shot evaluation of Piledriver but not before d r i l l Hole A and the pressurization tests are

complete.

On the basis of information currently available, it is the opinion

of LRL t h a t t h i s project as proposed w i l l provide information on radioactivity, permeability, s ize distribution, and precautionary industr ia l hygiene necessary for commercial processing of radioactive rubble.

DDR :mcbc

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-_ " '-8 SU8JECT Jca TAO

NO. no. P. 9 wo- M O O . DATE RL00.

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S K E T C H ---~ -_-.._ SLOOP s

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LAWRENCE RADIATION LABORATORY 3 11 Lg. 1 (Revised: 10-21-66) j;y Post-Piledriver Prelim. z p lSWEO flw UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

DATE WNCR

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D is t r ibut ion : Col. J. J. Neuer, DASA, TC/DT, Albq Lt/Col. Bernard Robinson, DASA, TC/NTS

Dr. Glenn C. Werth, LRL .Dr. Gary H. Higgins, LRL

W. G. F l w s , REECO, NTS

I). D. M. 3.

Rabb, LRL Nordyke, LRL

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