Hacker News Reader

30 years ago remember USSR used underground nukes at least once specifically for exploration of oil/gas in Siberia.

"39 explosions for the purpose of geological exploration (trying to find new natural gas deposits by studying seismic waves produced by small nuclear explosions)"

(As well as several other interesting tests/uses)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Explosions_for_the_Nati...

Before that, the US did it in New Mexico in 1967 with project gasbuggy. It was nuclear fracking basically.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com