"Shooting the Well": An Exciting Even in the Early Days (OG-14)
The excitement of shooting the well has faded with more effective and re sophisticated methods of completing petroleum-test wells. Nitroglycerin was used in torpedoes for increasing the oil and gas flow from hard or close-grained rocks. The explosion shattered the rock strata and created fractures enhancing the drainage from the surrounding rocks into the borehole.

Knowing the proper method of shooting and amount of explosive to use became an art. A successful torpedoman needed experience and awareness of the dangerous characteristics of nitroglycerin. Highly trained technicians, hydraulically injected fluids, and propping agents have replaced the shooter.

Our Hoosier State Beneath Us: Oil and Gas