Optimization for injection-production operation scheme for strategic petroleum storage in salt cavern

To investigate the effect of the operation parameters and rock cavity creep on the stability of the underground strategic petroleum storage, and analyze the different operation schemes of strategic storage, the mathematic model for heat and mass transfer in solution cavity and rock cavity creep is established based on heat transfer and fluid dynamics theory. The actually measured data of the USA BH101 strategic petroleum storage in salt cavern (1990-1998) are adopted to verify this model and the maximum relative error gets bellow 15%, which meets the request of engineering precision. Then the typical operation schemes of the recommended Jintan strategic petroleum storage in salt cavern are discussed. It is suggested that appropriate shortening equilibration storage time after oil injected and produced into the reservoir slows creep contraction of cavity and extends the injection-production time, which is in favor of the stability of underground strategic petroleum storage; the brine wells ought to be connected with atmosphere during the initial stage of oil strategic storage, and they should be closed while the cavities become stable.