Publications

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The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is moving towards employing an expanded enhanced monitoring program. In doing so it has become apparent that there is a need for a better project wide understanding of the current state of Bryan Mound abandoned Cavern 3 stability. Cavern 3 has been inaccessible since 1988 when it was plugged and abandoned and thus this comprehensive report is structured by focusing on 1) a summarization of what can be discerned from historical records prior to 1988 and 2) a presentation and discussion of our current understanding of Cavern 3 based solely on surface monitoring and geomechanical analyses. Historical literature state the cavern was deemed unsuitable for oil storage, as it could not be definitively determined if fluid pressure could be maintained in the borehole. Current surface monitoring indicates the largest surface subsidence rates are occurring above Cavern 3. The subsidence rates are linear with no evidence of acceleration. Cavern collapse could occur if there is insufficient pressure holding up the roof. Next steps are to implement a microseismic system that will lend to a better understanding of cavern stability, as well as provide an improved early warning system for loss of integrity.

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Subsidence monitoring is a crucial component to understanding cavern integrity of salt storage caverns. This report looks at the historical and current subsidence monitoring program and includes interpretation of the data from the Bayou Choctaw Strategic Petroleum Reserve site. The current monitoring program consists of an annual elevation survey as well as GPS and tiltmeter instruments above both Cavern 4 and Cavern 20. This year's level and rod survey indicates little subsidence across the site. In addition, the GPS and tiltmeter instruments do not indicate any substantial movement above caverns 4 and 20. As such, there is no reason to indicate any of the caverns at Bayou Choctaw have lost integrity.

Subsidence monitoring is a crucial component to understanding cavern integrity of salt storage caverns. This report looks at the historical and current subsidence monitoring program and includes interpretation of the data from the West Hackberry Strategic Petroleum Reserve and LA Storage sites. Given data from current level-and-rod surveys, GPS, and tiltmeter, we do not believe there are any structural integrity issues at the West Hackberry DOE and LA Storage sites.

The historical subsidence surveys shot over the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Big Hill site, located in southeastern Texas, have indicated surface uplift since 2002. In order to better understand and substantiate the surface behavior inferred from annual elevation measurements, InSAR (interferometric synthetic aperture radar) data was acquired. InSAR involves the processing of multiple satellite synthetic aperture radar scenes acquired across the same location of the Earth's surface at different times to map surface deformation. The analysis of the data can detect millimeters of motion spanning days, months, year and decades, across specific sites. The InSAR analysis indicates the fastest subsidence rates are over the north central region of the site, specifically centered over caverns 104 and 103. Subsidence rates decrease towards both the west and east, with the western side subsiding at greater rate than the eastern edge. There is some uplift noted, off the site and off the dome to the east. Overall, the subsidence pattern is in line with subsidence behavior expected over a cavern field. In investigating the validity of the uplift measured during the ground surveys it was discovered that reference location can impact results. An exercise was conducted that took the current InSAR data and presented two varying results dependent on the reference location, either on or off the dome. The conclusion was that if the reference is located on the dome, as it has been for years for the ground surveys, the reference location is moving too, giving the appearance of uplift.

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is a stockpile of emergency crude oil to be tapped into if a disruption in the nation's oil supply occurs. The SPR comprises of four underground salt dome sites. Subsidence surveys have been conducted either annually or biennially at all four sites over the life of the program. Monitoring of surface behavior is a first line defense to detecting possible subsurface cavern integrity issues. Over the life of the Bryan Mound site, subsidence rates over abandoned Cavern 3 have continuously been the highest at the site. In an effort to try and understand the subsurface dynamics, specifically over Bryan Mound Cavern 3, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data has been collected since October 2015, which allows for the acquisition of a greater density of data over a higher frequency providing improved spatiotemporal resolution. Currently, satellite images are acquired from two orbit geometries allowing for a 2-D analysis, which provides both the true vertical and east-west horizontal displacement rates. This report serves as an addendum to the 2017 report, Bryan Mound InSAR Analysis, U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, SAND 2017-6679. The latest data display an improvement in point density and precision, providing a higher confidence in the results. The results confirm, as seen in the previous analysis, that the fastest surface deformation is occurring over the southwest region of the site, where abandoned Cavern 3 is located. In addition, the horizontal displacement analyses suggest a geologic feature, such as a fault, may be contributing to the higher rates observed over Cavern 3. A loss in cavern integrity would significantly impact the site surface infrastructure.

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Crude oil storage caverns at the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve are depressurized for well workovers . The depressurization changes the forces within the salt around the cavern resulting in increased cavern closure rate, changes in neighboring cavern behaviors, and possible surface subsidence. These effects are all associated with changes within the salt around the cavern. Conclusions about the effects at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve include: the majority of cavern volume is lost at the start of a workover; two behaviors, one an increase in pressurization rate and one a tracking of the workover cavern pressure, are seen in neighboring caverns; surface subsidence must take into account recent workovers for accurate site-wide evaluation. Impacts on cavern integrity and well integrity were not assessed at this time, modeling for integrity will be informed by the results of this study.

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is a stockpile of emergency crude oil to be tapped into if a disruption in the nation's oil supply occurs. The SPR is comprised of four salt dome sites. Subsidence surveys have been conducted either annually or biennially at all four sites over the life of the program. Monitoring of surface behavior is a first line defense to detecting possible subsurface cavern integrity issues. Over the life of the Bryan Mound site, subsidence rates over abandoned Cavern 3 have continuously been the highest at the site. In an effort to try and understand the subsurface dynamics, specifically over Bryan Mound Cavern 3, historic interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data was acquired and processed by TRE Altamira. InSAR involves the processing of multiple satellite synthetic aperture radar scenes acquired across the same location of the Earth's surface at different times to map surface deformation. The analysis of the data has the ability to detect millimeters of motion spanning days, months, year and decades, across specific sites. The intent in regards to the Bryan Mound site was (1) to confirm the higher subsidence rates recorded over abandoned Cavern 3 indicated by land survey and (2) understand the regional surface behavior. This report describes the InSAR analysis results, how those results compare to the historical collection of land survey data, and what additional information the data has provided towards understanding the response recorded at the surface.