US3385067A - Method of underground storage in a reservoir - Google Patents

Method of underground storage in a reservoir Download PDF

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Publication number
US3385067A
US3385067A US532789A US53278966A US3385067A US 3385067 A US3385067 A US 3385067A US 532789 A US532789 A US 532789A US 53278966 A US53278966 A US 53278966A US 3385067 A US3385067 A US 3385067A
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United States
Prior art keywords
reservoir
storage
line
liquid product
displacing
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Expired - Lifetime
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US532789A
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English (en)
Inventor
Wouter H Van Eek
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Shell USA Inc
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Shell Oil Co
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Publication date
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G5/00—Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for storing a liquid product in an underground storage reservoir comprising two cavities interconnected below their highest parts by a conduit.
  • the conduit is filled with a displacing fluid heavier than and immiscible with the liquid conduct.
  • the cavities are partially filled with the displacing fluid and the remaining volume of one cavity is charged with pressurized gas while the remaining volume of the other cavity is filled with liquid product. In this manner, fluid may be flowed and displaced selectively from one cavity to another solely under the combined pressure of the pressurized gas.
  • This invention relates to the method and apparatus for storing a liquid product, in particular, hydrocarbons, such as for example, crude petroleum.
  • An object of this invention is to solve these problems in a simple and relatively inexpensive manner.
  • the liquid product of an oil well is forced into an underground storage reservoir filled with a displacing liquid which is heavier than and immiscible with the liquid product.
  • the said displacing liquid is thereby displaced at least partially from the storage reservoir via a conduit into a second underground reservoir situated at a level equal to or higher than the level of the storage reservoir.
  • a gas under pressure is present in the second reservoir above said displacing liquid.
  • a suitable displacing liquid is, for example, a salt solution, although other displacing liquids may be used.
  • the essential criteria, however, are that the displacing liquid must be heavier than and immiscible with the liquid product.
  • the liquid product is, for example, crude petroleum, but it will be obvious that, if desired, other liquid such as gas oil, liquefied butane or propane can also be stored by means of this method.
  • the gas under pressure employed can be, for example, methane, propane, butane, mixtures thereof or any other suitable gas.
  • the storage installation for use with this method comprises, according to the invention, a first underground storage reservoir provided with a supply and discharge line for the liquid product, a second underground reservoir situated at a level equal to or higher than the level of the first reservoir, a connecting line which connects the lower part of the first reservoir with the lower part of the second reservoir, a displacing liquid in the first reservoir, a supply and discharge line for the displacing liquid connected to the second reservoir and a line for the supply of gas under pressure to the second reservoir.
  • the said reservoirs can be advantageously arranged in an underground salt bed.
  • the said reservoirs can be situated below the bottom of the sea, for example, in a salt bed lying beneath the sea bottom.
  • FIGURE 1 shows a cross-section of the earth prepared for one embodiment of the invention and FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section of the earth prepared for another embodiment of the invention.
  • the surface of the sea or other body of water is designated by numeral 1, and the bottom of the sea by numeral 2.
  • Beneath earth formations 3 below the sea bottom 2 are, for example, other layers of a different material such as rock 5.
  • a storage reservoir 6 is arranged, the lower part of which is connected to the lower part of a second reservoir 7 by means of a connecting line 20.
  • the reservoirs 6 and 7 can be formed in a salt bed by locally dissolving the salt with water, for example, sea water, and removing the salt in a dissolved state.
  • the storage reservoir 6 is provided with a supply line 10 and a discharge line 11, both for the liquid product. In place of the two lines 10 and 11, a single line may be used which serves both as supply and discharge line for the liquid product. It is also possible to design lines 10 and 11 concentrically. Valves 14 and 15 are arranged in lines 10 and 11.
  • the second reservoir 7 is provided with a supply and discharge line 12 having a valve 16 for the displacing liquid.
  • a line 13, provided with a valve 17, is likewise connected to the second reservoir 7.
  • the line 13 serves to supply gas to the reservoir 7.
  • lines 12 and 13 may also be concentrically arranged.
  • valves 14 and 17 closed, and valves 15 and 16 open, liquid product, for example, petroleum, is now pumped through a line 10 into a storage reservoir 6. The liquid product thus displaces the salt solution and the latter flows out through line 12. The supply of petroleum is continued until storage reservoir 6 is completely filled therewith. Valve 15 is subsequently closed and valve 17 opened. This means that valves 16 and 17 are in the open position. Gas under pressure, for example, under a pressure of twenty atmospheres, is now supplied to reservoir 7 via line 13. This supply of gas under pressure will again cause salt solution to flow away via line 12.
  • liquid product for example, petroleum
  • the separating surface between the salt solution 9 and the petroleum 8 has at this point, for example, reached the level designated by 21 and 22 in FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively.
  • the salt solution has reached the level 23 and 24 (in FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively).
  • valve 14 is opened. Due to the hydrostatic pressure of the salt solution and the gas pressure (FIGURE 1) or due to the gas pressure alone (FIGURE 2), salt solution 9 is now forced from reservoir 7 via connecting line 20 into the storage reservoir 6. As a result, petroleum flows out through line 11 and valve 14. When a sufiicient amount of petroleum 8 has been withdrawn, valve 14 is closed again.
  • a method for storing a liquid product in an underground storage reservoir comprising two cavities interconnected below the highest parts thereof by a conduit including the steps of:

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
US532789A 1965-03-10 1966-03-08 Method of underground storage in a reservoir Expired - Lifetime US3385067A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6503027A NL6503027A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1965-03-10 1965-03-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3385067A true US3385067A (en) 1968-05-28

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ID=19792618

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US532789A Expired - Lifetime US3385067A (en) 1965-03-10 1966-03-08 Method of underground storage in a reservoir

Country Status (7)

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US (1) US3385067A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1253168B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DK (1) DK113202B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES323934A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1077193A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL6503027A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
OA (1) OA01923A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3438203A (en) * 1967-08-08 1969-04-15 Shell Oil Co Method of removing hydrocarbons from salt caverns
US3986339A (en) * 1974-03-19 1976-10-19 Erik Ingvar Janelid Storing a substance which, at atmospheric pressure, has a boiling point below 0°C
US4200336A (en) * 1978-07-17 1980-04-29 Occidental Oil Shale, Inc. Means for providing gas seal in production level drift for in situ oil shale retort
US4391552A (en) * 1981-08-24 1983-07-05 Bechtel International Corp. Apparatus and method for eliminating champagne effect in compressed air energy storage systems
US4662386A (en) * 1986-04-03 1987-05-05 Sofec, Inc. Subsea petroleum products storage system
US4691524A (en) * 1985-08-06 1987-09-08 Shell Oil Company Energy storage and recovery
DE10117617A1 (de) * 2001-04-07 2002-10-10 Ruhrgas Ag System und Verfahren zum Speichern eines Fluides in einem unterirdischen Hohlraum
US6469266B2 (en) 2000-05-30 2002-10-22 International Road Dynamics Inc. Road vehicle axle sensor
US20140013744A1 (en) * 2011-02-11 2014-01-16 Luxin (Green Planet) Ag Underground water-management system for mines
WO2017009645A1 (en) * 2015-07-14 2017-01-19 Widow's Oil Limited Hydrocarbon exploitation
US11685604B2 (en) 2021-09-17 2023-06-27 William Taggart, IV Underground energy storage systems

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1985003922A1 (en) * 1984-03-06 1985-09-12 Neste Oy Procedure for preventing hydrocarbon emission from rock cisterns
DE19857447A1 (de) * 1998-12-12 2000-06-21 Siegfried Muesig Anordnung und Verfahren zur Förderung, Speicherung und Verarbeitung von Kohlenwasserstoffen
GB0810365D0 (en) * 2008-06-06 2008-07-09 Portland Gas Plc Gas storage method & system

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2934904A (en) * 1955-09-01 1960-05-03 Phillips Petroleum Co Dual storage caverns
US2947147A (en) * 1955-12-20 1960-08-02 Exxon Research Engineering Co Underground storage reservoir for light hydrocarbons in semipermeable rock
US2961841A (en) * 1957-08-07 1960-11-29 Phillips Petroleum Co Underground storage product removal
US3003322A (en) * 1958-06-06 1961-10-10 Jersey Prod Res Co Oil storage
US3253414A (en) * 1962-07-06 1966-05-31 Phillips Petroleum Co Method and apparatus for operating underground storage caverns

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE833324C (de) * 1949-06-29 1952-03-06 Harald Edholm Behaelter fuer OEl u. dgl.
US2879646A (en) * 1954-02-15 1959-03-31 Phillips Petroleum Co Underground storage of liquids

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2934904A (en) * 1955-09-01 1960-05-03 Phillips Petroleum Co Dual storage caverns
US2947147A (en) * 1955-12-20 1960-08-02 Exxon Research Engineering Co Underground storage reservoir for light hydrocarbons in semipermeable rock
US2961841A (en) * 1957-08-07 1960-11-29 Phillips Petroleum Co Underground storage product removal
US3003322A (en) * 1958-06-06 1961-10-10 Jersey Prod Res Co Oil storage
US3253414A (en) * 1962-07-06 1966-05-31 Phillips Petroleum Co Method and apparatus for operating underground storage caverns

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3438203A (en) * 1967-08-08 1969-04-15 Shell Oil Co Method of removing hydrocarbons from salt caverns
US3986339A (en) * 1974-03-19 1976-10-19 Erik Ingvar Janelid Storing a substance which, at atmospheric pressure, has a boiling point below 0°C
US4200336A (en) * 1978-07-17 1980-04-29 Occidental Oil Shale, Inc. Means for providing gas seal in production level drift for in situ oil shale retort
US4391552A (en) * 1981-08-24 1983-07-05 Bechtel International Corp. Apparatus and method for eliminating champagne effect in compressed air energy storage systems
US4691524A (en) * 1985-08-06 1987-09-08 Shell Oil Company Energy storage and recovery
US4662386A (en) * 1986-04-03 1987-05-05 Sofec, Inc. Subsea petroleum products storage system
US6469266B2 (en) 2000-05-30 2002-10-22 International Road Dynamics Inc. Road vehicle axle sensor
DE10117617A1 (de) * 2001-04-07 2002-10-10 Ruhrgas Ag System und Verfahren zum Speichern eines Fluides in einem unterirdischen Hohlraum
US20140013744A1 (en) * 2011-02-11 2014-01-16 Luxin (Green Planet) Ag Underground water-management system for mines
WO2017009645A1 (en) * 2015-07-14 2017-01-19 Widow's Oil Limited Hydrocarbon exploitation
US11685604B2 (en) 2021-09-17 2023-06-27 William Taggart, IV Underground energy storage systems

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES323934A1 (es) 1967-01-16
GB1077193A (en) 1967-07-26
DE1253168B (de) 1967-10-26
DK113202B (da) 1969-02-24
OA01923A (fr) 1970-02-04
NL6503027A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1966-09-12

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