L51411 Theoretical and Laboratory Studies Relative to the Design of Salt Caverns Natural Gas Storage

Salt cavern storage of natural gas in many cases offers considerable advantages over conventional reservoir storage due to the characteristic high deliverability of such facilities. Furthermore, salt deposits, suitable for solution mining of gas storage caverns, exist in many areas where conventional reservoir or aquifer storage facilities are nonexistent or economically unfeasible. It is interesting to note, however, that although salt has been studied for many years by geologists and geophysicists, a review of the world literature indicates that the necessary expertise for designing, constructing, and stability monitoring of engineering “structures” constructed in salt is relatively limited. This report includes a comprehensive review of the literature associated with the physical properties of salt and salt cavern design