Big Hill site named one of 1987's top engineering achievements

Journal Article · · Fossil Energy Rev.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5230950

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve's Big Hill site in Texas, the newest addition to the federal government's emergency crude oil storage complex, has been named one of the top US engineering achievements of 1987. Designed to hold 140 million barrels of crude oil, it will ultimately be comprised of 14 huge underground salt caverns, each 200 feet across and 2000 feet deep - a size taller than New York's World Trade Center. The oil storage caverns at the Big Hill site will be located more than 3000 feet below the surface in a massive salt dome. Last October, after three years of surface construction and the drilling of 28 wells (two for each cavern), workers activated a series of pumps sending the first of millions of barrels of fresh water deep into the salt dome to begin the leaching operation that creates the salt caverns. Approximately 70 million barrels of fresh water must be pumped into the salt to dissolve a single cavern. It takes approximately two-and-a-half years to develop a cavern to its full capacity, although oil can be stored while the leaching process is underway. Construction of the Big Hill facility has proceeded at less than half its original cost estimates. Initially the project was expected to cost $819 million, or the equivalent of $5.85 for each barrel of oil storage capacity. Today, with nearly 80% of the total project costs expended, the cost is estimated to be just under $400 million, or approximately $2.85 per barrel.

• OSTI ID: 5230950
• Journal Information: Fossil Energy Rev.; (United States), Journal Name: Fossil Energy Rev.; (United States); ISSN FENRE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
024000* -- Petroleum-- Storage-- (-1989)
CAVITIES
CONSTRUCTION
COST
DESIGN
DISSOLUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
FEDERAL REGION VI
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LEACHING
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SALT CAVERNS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STORAGE
STORAGE FACILITIES
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE
TEXAS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
USA