Patent ID: 7097386
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A method for the simultaneous development of an underground cavern and deposition of a material, said method comprising: (a) drilling a well into an underground salt formation; (b) setting a casing and hanging pipe strings positioned at designated locations inside the well and adjustable with respect to the vertical dimensions of the well; (c) solution mining the salt formation by injecting water through a first pipe set inside said casing and circulating said water through the well so as to leach salt and form brine; (d) injecting a cavern-roof-protecting blanket material through said casing and maintaining it on top of the cavern; (e) creating a cavern inside the salt formation by (i) continuing the circulation of said water through the well so as to leach additional salt and form additional brine; (ii) removing brine from said created cavern through a second pipe set inside said casing; and (iii) maintaining said cavern-roof-protecting blanket material on top of said created cavern, until a predetermined initial cavern volume is reached; (f) thereafter injecting an initial quantity of said material into said created cavern, said initial quantity of injected material being sufficient to substantially fill said predetermined initial cavern volume, and depositing said initial quantity of said material in said created cavern, said initial quantity of material injection taking place simultaneously with the development of said cavern inside the salt formation; (g) continuing the circulation of water through the well so as to leach additional salt and form additional brine while removing additional brine from said created cavern through said second pipe set inside said casing, until a predetermined additional cavern volume is reached; (h) injecting additional quantities of said material into said created cavern, said additional quantities of injected material being sufficient to substantially fill said predetermined additional cavern volume, and depositing said additional quantities of material in said created cavern, said hanging pipe strings inside the well so positioned within the well and cavern as to allow the injection of said additional quantities of material into the cavern and the timely removal of the brine that carries the dissolved salt out of the cavern without carrying over any substantial amounts of the deposited material, said injection of additional quantities of material taking place simultaneously with the development of said cavern inside the salt formation while monitoring and regulating the proportions and rates of material and solution mining water injected into the well so that cavern development takes place at a rate sufficient to allow the cavern to reach a prescribed size while the material is injected and deposited into the cavern; and (i) successively repeating steps (g) and (h) until a desired final cavern volume is reached and utilizing the entirety of said desired final cavern volume for depositing said material.