Boreholes before installation of shakedown test in 2017Borehole before inserting packerInserting packer into boreholeDOE-NE visit to shakedown test, Oct 2018SNL, LANL and WIPP TCO team members at packer and heater installationWIPP TCO grouting electrodesOverview of shakedown test site in 2018LBNL team member performing shakedown ERT demonstration
BATS Test, WIPP Underground N-940
2019-2020
Sandia Science for Salt RepositoriesWIPP TCO making final adjustments
LBNL, SNL, LANL, and WIPP TCO team members Dec 2019
Drilling BATS boreholes E-940, Feb 2019
E-940 drift before beginning drilling BATS boreholes
Heated SL borehole immediately after drilling
WIPP TCO getting ready to start drilling BATS boreholes
LANL team members with gas plumbing
SNL and LANL team members with heater and borehole closure gauge
LBNL team member with ERT system
LANL and SNL team members with brine samples
WIPP TCO inserting cement seal into SL borehole
Viewing BATS test from other side of N-540 intersection
Borehole showing near-drift open fractures
First core collected in BATS borehole, Feb 2019
BATS Surface Images
Ready to go underground on salt-handling shaft
Entrance to WIPP site
SNL and DOE-NE visit to BATS, Oct 2019
SEM image of halite from precipitated WIPP brine at 50 C (Kuhlman et al., 2018)
SEM image of halite from precipitated WIPP brine at 75 C (Kuhlman et al., 2018)
SEM image of intergranular fluid inclusions in reconsolidated granular salt
Sectioned sample of salt concrete used in seal test
Creation of salt cement plugs
Transmitted light microscope image of intragranular fluid inclusions (Kuhlman et al., 2020)
