US3552128A - Underground cavern for storage of hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Underground cavern for storage of hydrocarbons Download PDF

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Publication number
US3552128A
US3552128A US3552128DA US3552128A US 3552128 A US3552128 A US 3552128A US 3552128D A US3552128D A US 3552128DA US 3552128 A US3552128 A US 3552128A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cavern
brine
fluid
liquid hydrocarbon
storage
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Expired - Lifetime
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English (en)
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Austen M Shook
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Texaco Inc
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Texaco Inc
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Publication of US3552128A publication Critical patent/US3552128A/en
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
    • E21D13/00—Large underground chambers; Methods or apparatus for making them
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21F—SAFETY DEVICES, TRANSPORT, FILLING-UP, RESCUE, VENTILATION, OR DRAINING IN OR OF MINES OR TUNNELS
    • E21F17/00—Methods or devices for use in mines or tunnels, not covered elsewhere
    • E21F17/16—Modification of mine passages or chambers for storage purposes, especially for liquids or gases
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/6851—With casing, support, protector or static constructional installations

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a system for operating an underground fluid storage system wherein a liquid hydrocarbon product is stored in a storage cavern formed in a salt mass reservoir.
  • This invention particularly relates to a system which uses brine as a displacing fluid and is particularly useful for underwater operations.
  • caverns In recent years, the use of underground storage caverns has been widely adopted. These caverns are drilled, mined, dissolved or otherwise formed within a subterranean stratum.
  • a common method of forming such caverns comprises dissolving with water sufiicient salt from a salt deposit or bed to form a sizeable storage cavern.
  • the bores formed in the subterranean salt bed to produce the storage caverns are in communication with the surface of the earth by means of a number of pipes.
  • each bore is disposed at least one inlet pipe or outlet pipe for introduction and removal of stored liquid hydrocarbon and for introduction and removal of a displacing or heavier fluid, which fluid is usually saturated brine at the temperature and pressure of the cavern.
  • the temperatures within the cavern may run as high as, e.g., several hundred degrees F., and the pressure in the cavern is usually several hundred pounds per square inch.
  • One type storage cavern washed from a salt bed has a temperature of about 125 to 130 F. and, when storing liquid propane, the pressure runs about 400 to 500 p.s.1.
  • a surface storage pit (or pits) is provided on the earths surface where there is a lower temperature, for use with the displacing fluid (for example brine), there may be a problem of loss of salt at the surface.
  • the removed brine may be diluted with water. When the cool dilute brine is pumped back into the cavern, it is unsaturated with respect to salt at the warmer cavern temperature and resaturates itself.
  • the hydrocarbon product and displacing fluid are in a first reservoir.
  • the bottoms of the first and a second reservoir are connected by a conduit, so that the displacing liquid is at least partially stored in the second reservoir where it is covered by a cushion of gas under pressure.
  • Separate bores for hydrocarbon product, displacing fluid and gas supply at discharge lines are provided.
  • this invention relates to a fluid storage system for storing a liquid hydrocarbon product beneath the surface of the earth in a storage cavern wherein a separate cavern at a higher elevation than the storage cavern is provided as a reservoir for brine at substantially formation temperature.
  • the improvement comprises forming the caverns one above the other, with a well bore extending downward from the earths surface into the upper cavern and from the upper cavern into the lower cavern.
  • a product passageway is provided within the well bore extending from the earths surface and terminating in the upper portion of the lower cavern.
  • a separate gas passageway is provided in the bore extending from the earths surface and terminating in the upper portion of the upper cavern.
  • a brine conduit is provided within the bore intermediate the caverns, extending from the lower portion of the upper cavern and terminating in the lower portion of the lower cavern axially and centrally of the portion of the well bore and surrounded by the product passageway, and bypass means are provided within the well bore adjacent the lower portion of the upper cavern whereby brine from the upper cavern may pass into the brine conduit to displace hydrocarbon product from the lower cavern upwardly through the product passageway.
  • a bore hole or well bore 2 is drilled from the surface of the earth 4, down through intervening formations such as a heterogeneous overburden 6, into an underground salt formation 8.
  • the term salt formation is meant to include all formations containing a relatively large amount of soluble salt deposits, for example, water soluble salts of sodium, potassium and magnesium.
  • the earths surface 4 may be either ground surface, or the floor of a body of water 5 as in off-shore locations.
  • the bore 2 is initially formed by drilling a top section of a large diameter in the overburden 6.
  • a surface casing 12 (for example, having an 18-inch diameter) is then set into place and cemented at 14 to the formation.
  • the overburden 6 is a solid, rocklike mass which does not crumble or fragmentate, so that it does not require lateral support
  • the surface casing 12 can be eliminated.
  • the surface casing 12 is provided with a vent passage or line 16.
  • the vent passage 16 is in communication with the atmosphere or a source of fluid at a pressure greater than atmospheric.
  • the shaft 2, is then drilled from the bottom of the top section 10 into the salt formation 8 forming bore 18.
  • An annulus 12a is then joined about its outer periphery to the top edge of the surface casing 12 and about its inner periphery, to the outside of the production casing 20 by welding or other means.
  • the annulus 12a acts to space the production casing 20 away from the surface casing 12 and to form a seal between the production casing 20 and the surface casing 12.
  • An upper cavern 22 is formed in the salt formation 8 by methods which are well known and which include forcing a fluid in which salt is soluble (for example, water) against the sides of the shaft 2, at the desired elevation until a suflicient amount of salt is carried away in solution to form the desired cavity.
  • the excess saturated salt solution is discharged at the surface through the line 16.
  • Openings 24 are provided in the production casing 20 at the level of the upper cavern 22 to allow fluid to pass in and out of the upper cavern 22.
  • the production casing 20 is then cemented at 26 to the wall of the bore in the shaft 2 below the upper cavern 22.
  • a lower cavern like the upper cavern, is formed by similar well-known methods.
  • the sizes of the upper cavern 22 and of the lower cavern 28 are dependent on the amount of hydrocarbon desired to be stored and the extent of the salt mass.
  • Upper and lower annular packing rings 32 and 34, respectively, are set permanently into place against the inside surface of the production casing 20, above and below the bypass 30.
  • the bypass 30 is thus anchored in place and a fluid seal is formed thereby to prevent contact between the fluid in the upper chamber 22 and the fluid in the production casing 20, outside the bypass 30.
  • the setting and sealing of annular packing rings 32 and 34 in the production casing 20 is a well known art.
  • the lower annular packing ring 34 is set into the production casing 20 prior to the bypass 30 being lowered therein.
  • An open-ended conduit 36 is lowered into the shaft 2 until the bottom end is just above the bottom of the lower cavern 28, where it is set into place.
  • the length of the conduit 36 is such that in this position, the top end is just above the top of the upper cavern 22.
  • Openings 36a are provided in the conduit 36 adjacent openings 24 in the production casing 20 to communicate the upper cavern 22, with the bypass 30.
  • This passage includes a lower annular passage 20a, defined by the inside of the production casing 20 and the outside of the conduit 36, passages 40 in the bypass 30, and the inside of the production casing 20, above the conduit 36.
  • the production casing 20 is sealingly connected to a pipe 42, above the surface 4, in which is disposed a shutoff valve or other valve means 44, to control the flow of fluids therethrough.
  • the valve 44 When the preestablished volume of liquid hydrocarbon product storage space in the lower cavern 28 is reached, an operator closes the valve 44, stopping the flow of liquid hydrocarbon product from entering the lower cavern 28.
  • the volume of liquid hydrocarbon product stored can be substantially commensurate with the volume of the lower cavern 28 or any lesser amount.
  • the lower cavern 28 is not substantially filled with stored liquid hydrocarbon, a residual amount of brine remains in the lower cavern 28.
  • valve 44 is opened, and the stored liquid hydrocarbon is displaced by the brine flowing from the upper cavern 22 through the bypass 30 and the conduit 36 to the lower cavern 28.
  • the hydrostatic pressure of the brine may be, in some instances, suflicient to force the liquid hydrocarbon up to the surface without the need for pumping.
  • the hydrocarbon flows via the lower annular passage 20a, the passages 40, the bypass 30 and the production casing 20 to the line 42 at the earths surface.
  • the brine in the upper cavern 22 may be displaced with gas under pressure.
  • the spacings of the caverns are such that the stored liquid hydrocarbon may be displaced by the brine without the necessity for pumping either hydrocarbon or air.
  • the vertical distance between the upper cavern 22 and the lower cavern 28 must be greater than the product of the vertical distance between the surface and the lower cavern 28 and a fraction defined by the specific gravity of the liquid hydrocarbon product divided by the specific gravity of the brine.
  • the most economical displacing fluid is brine, which is readily available.
  • any fluid which is immiscible with and has a sufficiently greater density than the liquid hydrocarbon to be stored, can be used as the displacing fluid.
  • the product of the height of the brine in conduit 36 and the specific gravity of brine divided by the specific gravity of crude oil must be greater than the height of the crude oil in the lower annular passage 20a and production casing 20, the lengths being similar units.
  • the product of the height of brine between the bottom of the upper cavern 22 and the top of the lower cavern 28 and the fraction defined by dividing the specific gravities of brine with crude oil is greater than the height of crude oil between the valve 44 and the top-of the lower cavern 28, the crude oil may be recovered from cavern 28 without pumping.
  • the bottom of the upper cavern 22 is 500 feet from the surface.
  • the volume of both the upper and lower cavern 22 and 28, is each 60,000 cubic feet.
  • the vertical distance between the bottom of the upper cavern 22 and the bottom of the lower cavern 28 is 2500 feet.
  • 25 API crude oil is stored in the lower cavern 28.
  • the diameter of the production casing 20 is 24 inches, and the diameter of the surface casing is 36 inches.
  • the diameter of the liner 36 is 13% inches.
  • the minimum pressure at valve 44 during storage operations would be 121 pounds per square inch.
  • the bottom of the upper cavern 22 is 1000 feet from the surface.
  • the volume of both the upper and lower cavern 22 and 28, is each 560,000 cubic feet.
  • the vertical distance between the bottom of the upper cavern 22 and the bottom of the lower cavern 28 is 2000 feet.
  • liquid propane is stored in the lower cavern 28.
  • the diameter of the production casing 20 is 24 inches, and the diameter of the surface casing is 36 inches.
  • the diameter of the liner 36 is 13% inches.
  • the minimum pressure at valve 44 during storage operations would be 381 pounds per square inch.
  • the bottom of the upper cavern 22 is 500 feet from the surface.
  • the volumes of both the upper and lower caverns 22 and 28 are each 560,000 cubic feet.
  • the vertical distance between the bottom of the upper cavern 22 and the bottom of the lower cavern 28 is 2500 feet.
  • 38 API crude oil is stored in the lower cavern 28, 38 API crude oil is stored.
  • the diameter of the production casing 20 is 24 inches, and the diameter of the surface casing is 36 inches.
  • the diameter of the liner 36 is 13% inches.
  • the minimum pressure at valve 44 during storage operations would be 211 pounds per square inch.
  • the intended cavern of the present invention be in a salt dome. Natural or artificially produced caverns may be used, so long as the walls are impervious to the stored material.
  • a fluid storage system for storing a liquid hydrocarbon product beneath the surface of the earth in a storage cavern wherein a separate cavern at a higher elevation than said storage cavern is provided as a reservoir for brine at substantially formation temperature, the improvement which comprises:
  • said well bore is provided with a casing from the surface of the earth to the upper portion of said upper cavern, said casing forming the outer wall of said gas conduit.
  • a fluid storage system for storing a liquid hydrocarbon product beneath the surface of the sea floor in a storage cavern wherein a separate cavern at a higher elevation than said storage cavern is provided as a reservoir for brine at substantially formation temperature, the improvement which comprises:

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
US3552128D 1969-06-02 1969-06-02 Underground cavern for storage of hydrocarbons Expired - Lifetime US3552128A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US82941669A 1969-06-02 1969-06-02

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DE (1) DE2024967C3 (de)
GB (1) GB1259242A (de)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3858397A (en) * 1970-03-19 1975-01-07 Int Salt Co Carrying out heat-promotable chemical reactions in sodium chloride formation cavern
US3864917A (en) * 1970-03-19 1975-02-11 Int Salt Co Geothermal energy system
US4343569A (en) * 1979-12-14 1982-08-10 Bbc Brown Boveri & Co. Ltd., Apparatus for preventing blowing out of the water supply of constant pressure air storage installations of gas turbine power plants
US4488834A (en) * 1982-11-17 1984-12-18 Empak, Inc. Method for using salt deposits for storage
US5129759A (en) * 1991-07-23 1992-07-14 Pb-Kbb, Inc. Offshore storage facility and terminal
US5173007A (en) * 1989-10-23 1992-12-22 Serv-Tech, Inc. Method and apparatus for in-line blending of aqueous emulsion
US20040074241A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2004-04-22 Bishop William M. Method and apparatus for warming and storage of cold fluids
US20040194476A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2004-10-07 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Dual gas facility
US20060150640A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2006-07-13 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Lng receiving terminal that primarily uses compensated salt cavern storage and method of use
WO2010150010A3 (en) * 2009-06-23 2011-05-05 Bruce Arnold Tunget Apparatus and methods for forming and using subterranean salt cavern
CN109751081A (zh) * 2017-11-03 2019-05-14 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 盐穴储气库的腔体修复方法
CN113738408A (zh) * 2020-05-29 2021-12-03 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 双井连通盐穴储气库的扩容方法

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN115110927B (zh) * 2021-03-23 2024-03-26 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 适用于注气开发方式的井筒集群式地下储气方法、装置及装置的使用方法

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3858397A (en) * 1970-03-19 1975-01-07 Int Salt Co Carrying out heat-promotable chemical reactions in sodium chloride formation cavern
US3864917A (en) * 1970-03-19 1975-02-11 Int Salt Co Geothermal energy system
US4343569A (en) * 1979-12-14 1982-08-10 Bbc Brown Boveri & Co. Ltd., Apparatus for preventing blowing out of the water supply of constant pressure air storage installations of gas turbine power plants
US4488834A (en) * 1982-11-17 1984-12-18 Empak, Inc. Method for using salt deposits for storage
US5173007A (en) * 1989-10-23 1992-12-22 Serv-Tech, Inc. Method and apparatus for in-line blending of aqueous emulsion
US5129759A (en) * 1991-07-23 1992-07-14 Pb-Kbb, Inc. Offshore storage facility and terminal
US20050155357A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2005-07-21 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Dual gas facility
US20060150640A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2006-07-13 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Lng receiving terminal that primarily uses compensated salt cavern storage and method of use
US20040250553A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2004-12-16 Bishop William M. Method and apparatus for warming and storage of cold fluids
US6880348B2 (en) * 2001-12-19 2005-04-19 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Method and apparatus for warming and storage of cold fluids
US20040074241A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2004-04-22 Bishop William M. Method and apparatus for warming and storage of cold fluids
US6945055B2 (en) 2001-12-19 2005-09-20 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Dual gas facility
US7036325B2 (en) 2001-12-19 2006-05-02 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Dual gas facility
US20040194476A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2004-10-07 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Dual gas facility
US7451605B2 (en) 2001-12-19 2008-11-18 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. LNG receiving terminal that primarily uses compensated salt cavern storage and method of use
US20090010714A1 (en) * 2001-12-19 2009-01-08 Conversion Gas Imports, L.P. Lng receiving terminal that primarily uses compensated salt cavern storage and method of use
WO2010150010A3 (en) * 2009-06-23 2011-05-05 Bruce Arnold Tunget Apparatus and methods for forming and using subterranean salt cavern
CN109751081A (zh) * 2017-11-03 2019-05-14 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 盐穴储气库的腔体修复方法
CN113738408A (zh) * 2020-05-29 2021-12-03 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 双井连通盐穴储气库的扩容方法
CN113738408B (zh) * 2020-05-29 2024-03-26 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 双井连通盐穴储气库的扩容方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2024967A1 (de) 1970-12-17
DE2024967B2 (de) 1974-07-11
GB1259242A (de) 1972-01-05
DE2024967C3 (de) 1975-02-27

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