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Article: And now for the really big one.
- Article from:
- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- Article date:
- March 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE IDEA OF USING A NUCLEAR-powered submarine to haul cargo under the ice-covered Arctic is as old as the nuclear submarine itself. Back in 1958, as the USS Nautilus was crossing the Arctic to become the first ship to reach the North Pole, a feasibility study by its builder, the Electric Boat Co., concluded that a double-hulled submarine tanker displacing 50,000 tons submerged could be built to carry 30,000 tons of oil. But it wouldn't be economical.
In the 1970s, oil-price shocks, coupled with the discovery of oil in Alaska, prompted a second look. Instead of building a pipeline across Alaska, would it be worthwhile to haul the oil to California under the ice? ...