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Die : 6-l~'- S 5 ~ ~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~j~~~~ <br />~dc . N~~ : ~~~~ ~~fe~-~s. ~.~12; ~ f ~- <br />Techniques for Developing Predetermined <br />Shaped Cavities in Solution Mining' <br />:. ,.. 3 <br />.r'~;' :~".1,.y~:i ~rB.~: Dammers, .:. aitd q:-E.:-':. <br />';`~~` '` ;~'' ~'~:The'Uttiyersity.of Tezas,~ :. " <br />,.. <br />,. <br />.. <br />- :.;.:.~::•'•_~;'_r;;;:Austin..Texas - , <br />;:: <br />• , <br />_-. _-...-._ ......... ^Y. <br />ABSTRACT <br />The problem of obtaining specific crn:figurations in massive salt daring solution mining is <br />presented. Techniques are described.:uhich provide means of obtaining various shaped cavities. <br />Such cavities stave certain advantages over tTtose obtained generally by present-day operations. <br />Spherically-sTtaped cavities offer advantages as storage caverns. Laboratory investigations have <br />proven tTte feasibility of forming cavities mtd numerous models :sere developed in the program to <br />determine the rnost feasible manner jot forming spTterically-shaped cavities. itfethods are out- <br />lined for obtaining specific types of cavities in massive salt by the solution mining tecl:rtique. <br />An increasing number of u[ili[ies, gas transmission companies, producers, and refiners are <br />looking underground for safe and economical storage of hydrocarbons. Underground storage ca- <br />paci[y in the United States has increased tenfold during the past decade, and projects in [he plan- <br />ning stages indica[e a continua ion of the upward trend. Solu[ion cavities, mined caverns, natural <br />reservoirs, and abandoned mines, reservoir, and [unnels make up nearly 90, 000, 000 bbls. of <br />storage facilities. Roughly 87°fo of this space is in salt caverns which cos[ less [han $ 2.00 per bbl. <br />of capacity to construct (1). <br />Besides being at[ractive [o the industries involved, underground storage has proved to be of <br />substantial benefit since it affords broader coverage of the LPG supply over the winter months and <br />permits wider domestic and industrial use. It conserves energy resources because without vas[ <br />storage facilities the gas would go to less economical uses, and it conserves critical materials <br />such as steel for ocher applications in the national in[eres[ (2). <br />At present, the prime and often only considers[ion in the design and construction of solution <br />cavities is storage capacity. As the applications and use of these caverns become more wide- <br />spread and inves[ment in them continues to increase, other considerations such as ease of opera- <br />tion, stability, areal ex[ent and prevention of product loss in traps caused by uneven or irregular <br />solution become more important. Many of [hese requiremen[s may dic[a[e chambers of particular <br />shapes such as spheres, cylinders, ellipsoids, or cones. <br />This investigation was undertaken to determine the mechanics of the solution process in or- <br />der to establish the feasibility of leaching cavities of predetermined shapes. The methods of cir- <br />culation currently being employed by indus[ry were reviewed and all laboratory work was done with <br />a view of applying information gained to the construction of large-scale field cavities. <br />t <br />From theses of D. R Remson and O, B, Dommers ptesen[ed to [he Depa«mcnt of Pztroleum Engineering 1'he Un(versi[y o(Texas, in partial <br />fulfillmen[ of the requirements for the ~f, S, Degrez in Petroleum Engineering <br />2Presen[ address: The Catifomia Company. New Orleans, Louviana, <br />3 <br />Present address: Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Amarillo. Texas, <br />297 <br /> <br />