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Oil velocities in the Weeks Island mine during oil recycle exercises

Webb, Stephen W.

As part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the Weeks Island oil storage site is a converted salt mine that contains approximately 73 million barrels of oil overlying 0.5 million barrels of brine. The oil is contained on two levels of the converted mine which are connected by a number of shafts and openings. Oil recycle exercises are periodically conducted to test the oil fill and withdrawal systems in which oil is simultaneously injected and withdrawn from two different locations in the lower level, and brine may be transported around the lower level of the mine by the movement of the oil. 11 refs., 16 figs.