North Dakota Scholars Want To Research “World’s Oldest Rock”

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Scientists at the University of North Dakota's Energy and Environmental Research Center want to drill down more than 16,000 feet into the oldest rock on the planet.

The Bismarck Tribune reports the researchers want to test whether crystalline rock is suitable for storing spent nuclear waste, though they say it's not a step toward nuclear waste disposal in North Dakota.

The researchers next week will ask the State Land Board for permission to use 20 acres of state-owned land in Pierce County for the federal Energy Department project.

Associate Research Director John Harju says scientists would get the opportunity to study rock that's as old as 6 million years. He says drilling would take nine months, and core samples would be studied by geologists for decades.