Underground storage of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN THE STORAGE OF HYDROCARBONS OVER BRINE IN A PLURALITY OF UNDERGROUND SALT CAVITIES WTHEREIN THE HYDROCARBONS ARE PUMPED THEREIN AT RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE TO DISPLACE BRINE AND SUBSQUENTLY ARE REMOVED THEREFROM BY RETURNING BRINE TO THE CAVITIES, THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING, FROM A BRINE STORAGE SOURCE, BRINE RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE INTO A MANIFOLD COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OF SAID CAVITIES TROUGH A CONDUIT EXTENDING TO A LOWER PART THEREOF, AND CYCLING BRINE FROM SAID MANIFOLD TO SAID BRINE STORAGE SOURCE WHEN THE PRESSURE IN SAID MANIFOLD EXCEEDS THE BRINE SUPPLY PRESSURE, WHEREBY HYDROCARONS MAY BE PUMPED INDEPENDENTLY TO THE CAVITIES AS INDIVIDUAL STREAMS RESULTING IN A CORRESPONDING DISPLACEMENT OF BRINE FROM THE CAVITIES INTO SAID MANIFOLD AND WHEREBY HYDROCARBONS MAY BE INDEPENDENTLY DISPLACED FROM SAID CAVITIES BY BRINE FED FROM SAID MANIFOLD WHILE UTILIZING AS THE MOTIVATING FORCES FOR SUCH DISPLACEMENT THE WEIGHT OF THE COLUMN OF BRINE IN EACH OF SAID CONDUITS.