Geophysical Borehole Investigations of a Nuclear Waste Storage Chamber in the Salt Mine Asse II

Summary Geophysical measurements from a borehole including directional radar, magnetic gradients and electromagnetic induction facilitated the safe planning and execution of an inspection drilling into a chamber filled with radioactive waste in the salt mine Asse II in Germany. The recorded data and subsequent visual inspection provided valuable insights of the previously unknown situation in and around that chamber, information needed for the safe recovery of the nuclear waste from that mine which has been suffering from water intrusion for decades. We present data from that investigation and detail how geophysical measurements worked hand in hand with decimeter short drilling intervals to avoid unknowingly hitting any waste containers.