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Analysis of the behavior of large underground oil storage caverns in salt rock

2016; Wiley; Volume: 41; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/nag.2576

1096-9853

Ali Mortazavi, Hossein Akbari Nasab,

Grouting, Rheology, and Soil Mechanics

International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in GeomechanicsVolume 41, Issue 4 p. 602-624 Research Article Analysis of the behavior of large underground oil storage caverns in salt rock A. Mortazavi, Corresponding Author A. Mortazavi ali.mortazavi@.aut.ac.ir ali.mortazavi67@gmail.com Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave., PO Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran Correspondence to: Ali Mortazavi, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave., PO Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: ali.mortazavi@.aut.ac.ir &ali.mortazavi67@gmail.comSearch for more papers by this authorH. Nasab, H. Nasab Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave., PO Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, IranSearch for more papers by this author A. Mortazavi, Corresponding Author A. Mortazavi ali.mortazavi@.aut.ac.ir ali.mortazavi67@gmail.com Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave., PO Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran Correspondence to: Ali Mortazavi, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave., PO Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: ali.mortazavi@.aut.ac.ir &ali.mortazavi67@gmail.comSearch for more papers by this authorH. Nasab, H. Nasab Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave., PO Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, IranSearch for more papers by this author First published: 28 September 2016 https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2576Citations: 20Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Summary The storage of petroleum products above ground surface has many constraints and limitations. A viable alternative is to excavate large underground spaces in rock to provide a safer way for oil storage. Soft rock formations such as salt domes provide suitable conditions from environmental and operational aspects. The potential for high volume storage and low permeability are among advantages of oil storage in caverns excavated in salt rocks. The complicated shape of oil storage caverns, complex behavior of salt rock, and boundary conditions associated with large underground openings are major challenges in the design of salt caverns excavated for oil storage purposes. In this study, the deformation mechanism and stability of salt caverns were investigated. A comprehensive 3D numerical study was carried out to investigate the effects of cavern size and depth, salt rock deformation modulus, and ground in-situ stress regime on the behavior of large salt caverns. The stress field and deformation mechanisms were studied numerically aiming at shedding lights into the design aspects of salt caverns for oil storage. The analysis results show that the cavern safety factor is reduced as a function of cavern depth and storage volume. Also, with decrease in k (ratio of horizontal to vertical in-situ stress), the stability of salt caverns will increase; however, with increase in salt rock young modulus, the sensitivity of cavern stability to k ratio is reduced. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Citing Literature Volume41, Issue4March 2017Pages 602-624 RelatedInformation