Abstract: The rivalry between atomic energy ,and petroleum is a topical subject whichoccupies the minds of many. This, however, does not worry petroleum producersat all, because the nuclear energy is always at the service of the oil industry at present. For example: Geophysical prospecting, drilling, acidizing control, pipe-linetransportation, radiotracers ,and also process control techniques common to therefining industry. Since 1957, more than 200 underground nuclear explosions havebeen detonated by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for a variety of experimental programs. Each has contributed data useful in developing nuclear techniquesfor petroleum recovery. Explosive effects have been measured in several rock typesto record the benefits (rock fracture ,and breakage) ,and the hazards (ground shock ,and radioactivity), ,and predictions for future experiments can be made with greatconfidence. The effects of nuclear explosions desirable for petroleum applicationsall come from the reaction of rock to the explosive energy. Upon detonation of theexplosive, a contained cavity is formed in between 0.1 ,and 0.3 seconds, ,and rockfracturing occurs, extending three to five cavity radii from the detonation point.The cavity collapses, usually between a few seconds ,and a few hours after the explosion. Containment of the underground cavity can be determined by the size of theexplosion ,and its depth required for containment. The first of three tests of nuclearstimulation in gas reservoirs. Project Gasbuggy, was fired in December 1967.Drilling in the nuclear-created cavity is now underway to determine the extent ofthe radioactivity in the gas ,and to check the predictions of increased productivity.These data will be useful for on shale applications. Also proposed to the USAECare projects such as Ketch (an experiment to determine if a nuclear-created cavitycould be used for gas storage). Project Bronco, an experiment in in-situ retortingof oil shale is in a state of advanced design ,and may be executed in 1970. In this50-kt experiment, the chimney filled with broken rock will be igmited at the top.Downward migration of the heat will retort the shale ,and about 10⁸ liters of oil willbe pumped from the base of the chimney. The first underground nuclear explosionrealized at the Nevada Desert, 19th September 1957, 100 km. north of Las Vegas with the encouragement ,and initiative of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The pioneers of these trials were two American scientists, Dr. EdwardTeller ,and Dr. Willard F. Libby. Now with this purpose in mind, ,and acting upon asuggestion raised at a meeting of about 250 prominent personalities ,and technicians of the oil industry ,and scientists who met at Dallas, Texas, six years ago underthe leadership of the USAEC, the U.S. has been trying to produce shale oil fromrocks through atomic explosion. The quantity of the oil in those shale rocks is estimated to be about ten times (nearly 250 thousand milion tons) as large as the oilwhich has been produced from wells since the days of Colonel Drake, ,and the latestidea in making use of these sources is to apply the atomic energy for this purpose.The specialists have called this type of petroleum to be produced -thanks to theenormous power of the nuclear energy- "Thermonuclear Petroleum". The oilbrought up through drilling the ground to-day occupies small pores in the oil-bearing formation like water occupying small cells in a sponge. Oil is a mobile element.It often moves from the places where it comes in being to the well where it eithergushes up / is withdrawn with motor pumps. It is assumed that the oil have migrated to the sponge-like cells from the "reservoir strata". The rock petroleum, onthe other hand is in those cells which we call "reservoir rocks". Not all such cells,however, contain oil. It is probable that the oil they contained million of years agosubsequently migrated to the reservoir strata. There are extremely rich virginoil-bearing shales in Colorado, Utah ,and Wyoming (USA), which are on the surface. Those reserves which contain 150 liters of oil ,and 70 cubic meters of gas perton are estimated to be about 250 thousand million tons. Before the petroleumcould migrate to the reservoir strata, their covering layers were worn away ,and theoil-bearing shales were exposed. The difference between reservoir cells ,and reservoir strata is that the former are of a microscopic size ,and would not allow themovement of the oil they contain. Consequently, it is impossible to produce that oilthrough drilling even if the shale rocks are on the surface. The only thing to do isto tear away the rocks using mining methods. Then they can be grinded ,and oil canbe extracted under heat ,and pressure. This, however, is a costly operation ,and renders the method uneconomical compared with the more conventional methods.Therefore, such a process in not yet applied on a commercial scale. It will be usedonly when expenses would be justified, ttie experiments ,and studies, however, continue both from the technical ,and economic standpoints. A reserve of this kind wasexploited in France some time ago ,and during the war (1940-1945) rock oil wasproduced at Norrtorp in Sweden with the initiative of a miner named Ljungstrom.In fact the petroleum extraction installations which the Americans will built at acost of 30 million Dollars will be based on the patent of the above-mentionedSwedish engineer. Among the areas where such petroleum can be produced areLuxembourg; Greer River (Canada); Autun, Severac-le-Chateau, Creveney(France); Puertollano (Spain), Stanletville (Congo); Fushun (Manchuria); Estonia(Russia); Scotland; Würtemberg (Germany). In the production of petroleum through underground nuclear explosions, use is made of atomic energy like dynamite. It is expected that the cost will be reduced in time through better adjustmentof the explosive power. After the explosion, the oil is extracted from the demolished rock pieces. The cost of the petroleum to be obtained with this method willbe as low as $ 1.50 per barrel as opposed to $ 3.25 per barrel of petroleum obtainedthrough conventional methods. The shale oil is regarded as the oil reserves of thefuture at present. However, it is certain that when the rich reserves exploited withwells are exhausted, thermonuclear oil production will, no doubt, start at a largescale. The USAEC ,and U.S. Bureau of Mines constantly cooperate on the subject ofthermonuclear oil production. For the experiments conducted so far, soft ,and porous shales containing clay have been selected. Now, experiments, will be made onthe production of oil from harder shales. $ 1.200.000 of the cost of $ 2.600.000 ofthe subsequent atomic explosions suggested by the representatives of the worldpetroleum industry will be paid by the oil companies. The expenses incurred so farfor this purpose exceed $ 20 million. According to calculations of the U.S. Bureauof Mines, it will be possible to break ,and grind 300.000 tons of rock with a nuclearexplosion of 10 kilotons. It is also estimated that 15-25 gallons of oil can be extracted from each ton of these rocks. One kilo tone is equivalent to the energy producedby the explosion of a thousand tons of TNT. For example, the energy produced byan underground atomic explosion of 20 kilotons is immensely great. One kilogramme of (Uranium-235) / (Plutonium-239) loses only one gramme of itsweight during fission, i.e., breaking. On the other hand, the energy produced isequal to the energy produced by the explosion of 20.000 tons of TNT. Likewise, 230million kilowatt hours of energy is obtained from the explosion of a normal atomic bomb of 20 kilotons ,and this equals 30 years working of a dynamo of 100 h.p. day ,and night. The project "Oil Sand" of the Americans which is included in the ‘’Plowshare" programme, which is for the peaceful use of atomic energy, will be appliedin the near future. These projects will be directed by the specialists of the LawrenceRadiation Laboratory at Livermore under the USAEC. Depending upon the nuclear explosives to be used for the production of Thermonuclear Petroleum the costof the explosion will be about $ 500.000 for one kt (kilotone), $ 750.000 for 10 kt. ,and 1 million dollars for one megaton, i.e., explosion corresponding to the explosion of a million tons of TNT. According to the project, 15.900.000 liters of petroleum ,and natural gas will be obtained in such an explosion to be realized in Canada with a charge of 9 kts. In short; atomic energy ,and petroleum will not compete,but will rather, complement each other in the years ahead. Already there is ampleevidence of this complementary relationship ,and one can confidently say that theThermonuclear Petroleum to be produces through underground atomic explosions promises great hopes for the future. The potential problems in stimulation ofoil ,and gas ,and the recovery of oil shale appear to be solvable ,and it should bepossible to harness the energy of the nuclear explosive for peaceful applications inthe very near future.