DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Horizontal natural gas storage caverns and methods for producing same

Abstract

The invention provides caverns and methods for producing caverns in bedded salt deposits for the storage of materials that are not solvents for salt. The contemplated salt deposits are of the bedded, non-domed variety, more particularly salt found in layered formations that are sufficiently thick to enable the production of commercially usefully sized caverns completely encompassed by walls of salt of the formation. In a preferred method, a first bore hole is drilled into the salt formation and a cavity for receiving insolubles is leached from the salt formation. Thereafter, at a predetermined distance away from the first bore hole, a second bore hole is drilled towards the salt formation. As this drill approaches the salt, the drill assumes a slant approach and enters the salt and drills through it in a horizontal direction until it intersects the cavity for receiving insolubles. This produces a substantially horizontal conduit from which solvent is controlledly supplied to the surrounding salt formation, leaching the salt and producing a concentrated brine which is removed through the first bore hole. Insolubles are collected in the cavity for receiving insolubles. By controlledly supplying solvent, a horizontal cavern is produced with two bore holes extending therefrom.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Albuquerque, NM
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
869967
Patent Number(s):
5431482
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B65 - CONVEYING B65G - TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E21 - EARTH DRILLING E21B - EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
horizontal; natural; gas; storage; caverns; methods; producing; provides; bedded; salt; deposits; materials; solvents; contemplated; non-domed; variety; particularly; found; layered; formations; sufficiently; thick; enable; production; commercially; usefully; sized; completely; encompassed; walls; formation; preferred; method; bore; drilled; cavity; receiving; insolubles; leached; thereafter; predetermined; distance; towards; drill; approaches; assumes; slant; approach; enters; drills; direction; intersects; produces; substantially; conduit; solvent; controlledly; supplied; surrounding; leaching; concentrated; brine; removed; collected; supplying; cavern; produced; holes; extending; therefrom; substantially horizontal; bore holes; salt formation; sufficiently thick; preferred method; natural gas; predetermined distance; gas storage; horizontal direction; salt deposits; extending therefrom; horizontal conduit; salt form; holes extending; /299/405/

Citation Formats

Russo, Anthony. Horizontal natural gas storage caverns and methods for producing same. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Russo, Anthony. Horizontal natural gas storage caverns and methods for producing same. United States.
Russo, Anthony. Sun . "Horizontal natural gas storage caverns and methods for producing same". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869967.
@article{osti_869967,
title = {Horizontal natural gas storage caverns and methods for producing same},
author = {Russo, Anthony},
abstractNote = {The invention provides caverns and methods for producing caverns in bedded salt deposits for the storage of materials that are not solvents for salt. The contemplated salt deposits are of the bedded, non-domed variety, more particularly salt found in layered formations that are sufficiently thick to enable the production of commercially usefully sized caverns completely encompassed by walls of salt of the formation. In a preferred method, a first bore hole is drilled into the salt formation and a cavity for receiving insolubles is leached from the salt formation. Thereafter, at a predetermined distance away from the first bore hole, a second bore hole is drilled towards the salt formation. As this drill approaches the salt, the drill assumes a slant approach and enters the salt and drills through it in a horizontal direction until it intersects the cavity for receiving insolubles. This produces a substantially horizontal conduit from which solvent is controlledly supplied to the surrounding salt formation, leaching the salt and producing a concentrated brine which is removed through the first bore hole. Insolubles are collected in the cavity for receiving insolubles. By controlledly supplying solvent, a horizontal cavern is produced with two bore holes extending therefrom.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995}
}