Computer modeling applied in the design of salt caverns for natural gas storage

This paper discusses the design of underground salt caverns, opened by solution mining, to production brine and storage natural. Special attention is given to the geomechanical structural design of the caverns using computer codes specially developed to simulate excavations in salt rock formations, considering validated constitutive laws for creep obtained by lab tests under differential stresses and temperatures. These computer codes and methodology have being used to design several cavern clusters for brine production and were also applied to design the conventional underground potash mine and also used to design the pre-salt oil wells, to explore pre-salt reservoirs and for its production. This application in the petroleum industry will represent significant savings which is strategic for the supply of the demand of the industry or domestic consumers, and to provide energy for the thermal power stations of gas natural in Brazil.