Safety aspects of Underground Storage in

Aquifers and Caverns

Underground storage of Hydrocarbon:
At depths of 1,500 feet or more, the free pore
space of a suitable rock formation can be
often used for storage of natural gas or
compressed air. 
 Safety aspects of Underground Storage in
Aquifers and Caverns
The rock formation layer must be adequately
porous with good permeability and have an
impermeable overburden which will not let
the stored gas escape either vertically or
laterally.  
Generally speaking, sandstones, dolomites,
porous limestones or fractured rocks are
suitable for such storage.
 Safety aspects of Underground Storage in
Aquifers and Caverns
Storage space in an aquifer is created by injected
gas under pressure to displace free water. 

PB Energy Storage Services developed the only

compressed air energy storage test facility in
an aquifer in Pittsfield, Illinois.
 Safety aspects of Underground Storage in
Aquifers and Caverns
Depleted oil or gas reservoirs represent a particular type
of porous storage. 

PB Energy Storage Services engineers can analyze

depleted oil and gas zones for natural gas storage
potential and design exploratory programs to locate
and qualify aquifers for storage.
PB is experienced in both developing new storage
facilities and enhancing the deliverability of existing
facilities.
 Safety aspects of Underground Storage in
Aquifers and Caverns
Underground storage of Hydrocarbon:

• Safe, economical and environmentally

friendly way to store large volumes of
hydrocarbons, energy sources, chemical
products etc.
Typical products - natural gas, crude oil, fuels,
propane / butane, air, chemical and
petrochemical products

• The capability to store products depends on

the existence of suitable geological conditions
 AQUIFERS
• Aquifers are the safe and effective way of
storing large volumes of gases in the
subsurface

• Products stored in aquifers are Natural gas,

CO2, crude oil, fuels, propane / butane, air,
chemical and petrochemical products
 AQUIFERS
• Because of the different operational modes and
larger storage volume storage aquifers is more
applicable to CO2 sequestration than storage in
salt.

• The development of aquifers to store natural gas

requires a number of exploratory studies such as:
an appropriate underground structure with
sufficient closure, the quality of the cap rock etc.
 CAVERNS

• Caverns are the safe and effective way of

storing large volumes of gases in the
subsurface for short-term storage.

• It is because they can quickly switch from

injection to withdrawal and operate at large
injection and extraction rates.
CAVERNS
CAVERNS
CAVERNS
 
 
Dual Entry Salt Cavern
1. Product in/out
2. Brine in/out
3. Product
4. Brine
 
Schematic cross-section through a typical hydrocarbon storage cavern in the
Sarnia area.  This cavern is "dual entry" meaning there are two wells used to
service the cavern. One well (Product in/out) is used for injection of hydrocarbons
into the top of the cavern when filling the cavern.  To empty the hydrocarbons
from the cavern, salt water (brine) is injected using the second well (brine in/out)
and the hydrocarbons are displaced to the surface up the first well.
 CAVERNS
• Salt caverns in Ontario are located in the Sarnia and
Windsor areas at refineries and petro-chemical plants.
• The caverns are used to temporarily store hydrocarbons
and liquified petrochemicals and are a critical
component of the petrochemical industry in this area.
•   There are 73 active storage caverns in Ontario utilizing
124 wells with a total storage capacity of 3.5 million
cubic meters. 
• If the caverns were filled to capacity the contents would
have a value in excess of $1.6 billion.
•
Salt caverns are man-made features constructed
within thick beds of salt in the subsurface of Ontario.
• They are formed by drilling through the overlaying
strata down into the salt formation to the calculated
cavern location, and washing the cavern to the
appropriate size.
• Salt caverns are formed with a leaching process by
injecting a water stream down a well bore in order to
"wash" a cavern into the salt.
• The wall of the completed cavern is insoluble in
hydrocarbons and therefore prevents leakages.
 CAVERNS
• Two types of Caverns:
1. Hard rock caverns
2. Mined caverns (caverns in salt deposits)
 Risk associated with Cavern/Aquifer
Construction and Operation

• Since construction takes place hundreds of feet

below ground in confined areas, any mishaps, such
as a collapse, can have grave consequences

• The health and safety risks to construction workers

are burns, falls, overexertion, heat exhaustion,
radiation exposure, and exposure to solvents,
electrocution, falling debris and other hazards.
• Improper or worn out tools and equipment can
result in burns to the skin and eyes.
• The improper use of or not using respirators
when priming and painting steel surfaces can
result in overexposure to poisonous solvents
• The erection of steel structures with cranes, in the
presence of power lines, may pose an
electrocution risk.
• The x-ray equipment contains a radioactive
(gamma ray) source, which can result in serious
injury to construction workers if the material is
improperly handled.
• Risks relating to operating the facility may impact
operations personnel as well as the general public.
• Gas leaks due to ruptured piping, well leaks,
equipment malfunction, operator error and other
external factors.
• Spills of hazardous chemicals such as used
lubricating oil and the glycol used for removing
water from the gas
SAFETY SYSTEMS/FEATURES RECOMMENDED
DURING OPERATIONS
• Emergency shutdown (ESD) valves
• ESD conditions
• Fire detection
• Leak detectors
• Manual ESD
• Alarms
• Wellhead protection
• Monitoring storage operations
• Emergency response plan (ERP)
• Employee safety training plan
• Testing and maintenance program