Wellbore Flow Treatment Used to Predict Radioactive Brine Releases to the Surface from Future Drilling Penetrations into th Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), New Mexico, USA

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) mined geologic repository in southeastern New Mexico, USA. This site is designed for the permanent burial of transuranic radioactive waste generated by defense related activities. The waste produces gases when exposed to brine. This gas generation may result in increased pressures over time. Thereforq a future driller that unknowingly penetrates through the site may experience a blowout This paper describes the methodology used to predict the resultant volumes of contaminated brine released to the surface.