Need to minimize risks of using salt caverns for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Technical Report · Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5253492· OSTI ID:5253492

Canfield, M. Jr.

Two issues raised during the General Accounting Office (GAO) review of the Federal Energy Administration's (FEA) plans, actions, and progress in developing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are discussed. The first issue relates to permitting brining operations to continue in Government-owned caverns after the caverns have been tested and certified by FEA as suitable for crude oil storage. GAO is concerned because FEA does not have a formal system for controlling brine production at these caverns and FEA does not plan to retest the caverns after production ceases. The second issue pertains to pumping crude oil into certain caverns before completing an analysis of their long-term suitability for storage. Although FEA was not certain of the continued suitability of these caverns for storage until an analysis was completed of tests recently performed on an adjacent cavern, FEA decided not to wait for test results on the adjacent cavern and began oil fill. GAO feels that FEA had no assurance that the caverns in question would continue to be suitable for storage. This lack of assurance could have led to problems in recovering oil, program delays, and unnecessary costs to the Federal Government. (LK)

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5253492
• Report Number(s): EMD-78-25
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
024000* -- Petroleum-- Storage-- (-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294002 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM
RESERVES
RESOURCES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SALT DEPOSITS
STORAGE
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE
UNDERGROUND SPACE
UNDERGROUND STORAGE