초록 ▼

This invention relates to a new and novel method for the underground storage of fluid materials including those which are readily soluable or reactive with water or brine such as concentrated caustic soda, ethylene dichloride or anhydrous ammonia within chambers developed in salt formations via solu

This invention relates to a new and novel method for the underground storage of fluid materials including those which are readily soluable or reactive with water or brine such as concentrated caustic soda, ethylene dichloride or anhydrous ammonia within chambers developed in salt formations via solution mining and from which essentially all the brine has been removed; and the chambers thereby produced. More particularly this invention relates to methods for making underground storage chambers; of recovering the brine formed in the making of the chamber; isolating the contaminants, i.e., the insolubles mixed with brine resulting from the solution mining of the storage chamber, such that fluids soluable or reactive with water or brine can be stored therein; and also to a method for controlling the velocity of free fall of materials injected into the chamber for storage, such that erosion of the equipment employed is minimized.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for storing fluids in an underground salt chamber which comprises: producing a solution mined chamber in a salt deposit containing anhydrite and insolubles, employing equipment including cemented casing liner of a cased borehole, suspended casing and tubing forming an annulus between them a

A method for storing fluids in an underground salt chamber which comprises: producing a solution mined chamber in a salt deposit containing anhydrite and insolubles, employing equipment including cemented casing liner of a cased borehole, suspended casing and tubing forming an annulus between them and consisting of a sump chamber and a larger storage chamber above it, said chambers being connected by a substantially vertical funnel-like chamber and a neck having an opening to the sump chamber which is smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the storage or sump chambers, whereby substantially all of the anhydrite and insolubles resulting from the solution mining fall into the sump chamber; withdrawing the brine from the upper storage and funnel-like chambers while maintaining a gas pressure by introducing a propping gas in the evacuated space sufficient to minimize salt creep; isolating said upper storage chamber from the lower sump chamber by plugging the neck of the funnel-like chamber connecting the upper and lower chambers with a sealant material which solidifies; injecting the fluid to be stored and controlling its falling velocity into said annulus whereby the propping gas is displaced; and recovering stored fluid, as desired.