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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Geomechanics investigations of SPR crude oil storage caverns

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5878533
Geomechanics investigations were performed to evaluate existing solution mined caverns in Gulf Coast salt domes being used (or readied) for crude oil storage in the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program. The geometry and location of the existing caverns is described. A generic study of interaction effects between adjacent caverns identifies cavern spacings for which consideration of operating conditions or product storage limitations might warrant site specific evaluation. Predicted creep closure rates for cavern No. 6 at the West Hackberry, Louisiana, site are shown to bound the measured wellhead data. The creep laws utilized in this simulation are also shown to bound the response of salt cores from West Hackberry as measured in a suite of laboratory tests. Ongoing efforts in and field data needed for evaluating depressurization effects, cavern spacing effects, and salt creep rates are described.
Research Organization:
Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-04-0789
OSTI ID:
5878533
Report Number(s):
SAND-79-2031C; CONF-791095-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English