Simultaneous Underground Cavern Development and Fluid Storage

A method for the simultaneous underground cavern development and fluid storage, said method comprising:

• (a) drilling a well into an underground salt formation;
• (b) setting a casing in a hanging pipe string positioned at a first designated location inside the well;
• (c) solution mining the salt formation by injecting raw water through a first pipe set inside said casing and circulating said raw water through the well so as to leach salt and form brine;
• (d) injecting a cavern-roof-protecting blanket material through a second pipe set inside said casing and maintaining it on top of the well;
• (e) creating a first cavern cavity inside the well by (i) continuing the circulation of said raw water through the well so as to leach additional salt and form additional brine;
• (ii) removing brine from said first cavern cavity through a third pipe set inside said casing;
• and (iii) maintaining said cavern-roof-protecting blanket material on top of said first cavern cavity, until a predetermined first cavern cavity volume is reached;
• (f) thereafter creating a second cavern cavity inside the well by (i) repositioning said hanging pipe string at a second designated location below said first designated location inside the well;
• (ii) continuing the circulation of raw water through the well so as to leach additional salt and form additional brine;
• and (iii) removing brine from said second cavern cavity through said third pipe set inside said casing, until a predetermined second cavern cavity volume is reached;
• and
• (g) injecting said fluid into said first cavern cavity through said casing and storing the fluid in said first cavern cavity, said fluid injection taking place simultaneously with said creation of said second cavern cavity inside the well.