Method of predicting and monitoring the imperviousness of an underground cavern

摘要

The imperviousness of an underground storage cavern for hydrocarbons in a water-impregnated rock formation is predicted and monitored by progressively increasing the pressure in the cavern and using pressure sensors placed around the cavern to monitor the gradient of the hydraulic pressure potential phi in the rock formation during the pressure rise in order to check that the gradient is not inverted.