SALT CAVERN WASHING WITH DESALINATION AND RECYCLING OF WATER

摘要

A method for desalinating and recycling the brine exiting a salt cavern. This method reduces the overall make-up water demand to wash a salt cavern, eliminates the brine disposal well and controls the cavern growth rate during disposal operations. The method includes the steps of: a) desalinating brine emerging from the salt cavern, and creating a stream of saline water, a stream of non-saline water and a stream of salt; b) recycling the stream volumes and combining the stream of non-saline and saline water with make-up water, thereby reducing demand for make-up water, c) pumping the salinated water into the salt cavern, and controlling the rate of growth of the salt cavern while disposing of wastes in the cavern, and repeating steps a) and b) substituting the make-up water with a waste mixture.

主权项

1. A method for controlling the rate of growth of a salt cavern in a salt formation, the method comprising:
a) pumping wash water into the salt formation to dissolve salt and grow the salt cavern; b) desalinating brine emerging from the salt formation, thereby providing a stream of saline water, a stream of non-saline water and a stream of salt; c) recycling and combining the stream of saline water with make up water, thereby providing salinated wash water and reducing demand for make up water; d) pumping the salinated wash water into the salt formation, wherein the salinated wash water provides a slower rate of growth of the salt cavern than the rate of growth provided by step a) and reduces demand for make up water; and e) repeating steps b) to d).