Underground storage caverns and method of making the same and of storing fluids therein

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING A DUAL PURPOSE UNDERGROUND STORAGE CAVERN FOR STORAGE OF WATER-INSOLUBLE FLUIDS AND PRODUCTION OF CONCENTRATED SALT SOLUTION IN SITU FROM A SINGLE BORE HOLE, COMPRISING: (A) DRILLING A BORE HOLE INTO A WATER SOLUBLE SALT FORMATION TO A FIRST DEPTH OF ABOUT THAT OF THE BOTTOM OF A FIRST LOWER CAVERN TO BE FORMED; (B) SETTING A FIRST CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID BORE HOLE TO A SECOND DEPTH OF ABOUT THE DESIRED INITIAL ROOF OF SAID FIRST LOWER CAVERN; (C) SETTING A SECOND CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID BORE HOLE AT CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST LOWER CAVERN; (D) CIRCULATING FRESH WATER TO SAID BORE HOLE THROUGH ONE OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND REMOVING SALT FROM SAID FORMATION AS SOLUTION THRU THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS UNTIL SUFFICIENT SALT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FORMATION BETWEEN THE OUTLETS OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO FORM SAID FIRST CAVERN OF DESIRED VOLUME FOR DEPOSITION THEREIN OF ANY INSOLUBLES ENCOUNTERED IN SOLUTION MINING SAID FORMATION; (E) POSITIONING ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AT A THIRD DEPTH OF ABOUT THE ROOF OF A SECOND UPPER STORAGE CAVERN TO BE FORMED; (F) POSITIONING THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AT A FOURTH DEPTH THAT IS SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND DEPTH AT A LOCATION DESIRED IN SAID BORE FOR THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND UPPER STORAGE CAVERN; (G) CIRCULATING FRESH WATER TO SAID BORE HOLE THRU ONE OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND REMOVING SALT FROM SAID BORE HOLE AS SOLUTION THRU THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS UNTIL SUFFICIENT SALT HAS BEEN REMOVED BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT OUTLETS TO FORM SAID SECOND CAVERN OF DESIRED VOLUME FOR STORAGE OF A WATER IMMISCIBLE FLUID THEREIN; (H) LOWERING ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO ABOUT SAID FOURTH DEPTH; (I) LOWERING THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO ABOUT SAID SECOND DEPTH; (J) INTRODUCING WATER INSOLUBLE FLUID TO BE STORED INTO THE UPPER CAVERN; (K) CIRCULATING FRESH WATER THRU SAID BORE HOLE THRU ONE OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND REMOVING MEANS FROM AS NEEDED THRU THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AS SOLUTION AT A RATE WHICH PROVIDES A SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SALT SOLUTION; AND (L) TERMINATING PRODUCTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SALT SOLUTION, AS DESIRED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING A DUAL PURPOSE UNDERGROUND STORAGE CAVERN FOR STORAGE OF WATER-INSOLUBLE FLUIDS AND PRODUCTION OF CONCENTRATED SALT SOLUTION IN SITU FROM A SINGLE BORE HOLE, COMPRISING: (A) DRILLING A BORE HOLE INTO A WATER SOLUBLE SALT FORMATION TO A FIRST DEPTH OF ABOUT THAT OF THE BOTTOM OF A FIRST LOWER CAVERN TO BE FORMED; (B) SETTING A FIRST CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID BORE HOLE TO A SECOND DEPTH OF ABOUT THE DESIRED INITIAL ROOF OF SAID FIRST LOWER CAVERN; (C) SETTING A SECOND CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID BORE HOLE AT CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST LOWER CAVERN; (D) CIRCULATING FRESH WATER TO SAID BORE HOLE THROUGH ONE OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND REMOVING SALT FROM SAID FORMATION AS SOLUTION THRU THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS UNTIL SUFFICIENT SALT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FORMATION BETWEEN THE OUTLETS OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO FORM SAID FIRST CAVERN OF DESIRED VOLUME FOR DEPOSITION THEREIN OF ANY INSOLUBLES ENCOUNTERED IN SOLUTION MINING SAID FORMATION; (E) POSITIONING ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AT A THIRD DEPTH OF ABOUT THE ROOF OF A SECOND UPPER STORAGE CAVERN TO BE FORMED; (F) POSITIONING THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AT A FOURTH DEPTH THAT IS SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND DEPTH AT A LOCATION DESIRED IN SAID BORE FOR THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND UPPER STORAGE CAVERN; (G) CIRCULATING FRESH WATER TO SAID BORE HOLE THRU ONE OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND REMOVING SALT FROM SAID BORE HOLE AS SOLUTION THRU THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS UNTIL SUFFICIENT SALT HAS BEEN REMOVED BETWEEN SAID CONDUIT OUTLETS TO FORM SAID SECOND CAVERN OF DESIRED VOLUME FOR STORAGE OF A WATER IMMISCIBLE FLUID THEREIN; (H) LOWERING ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO ABOUT SAID FOURTH DEPTH; (I) LOWERING THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO ABOUT SAID SECOND DEPTH; (J) INTRODUCING WATER INSOLUBLE FLUID TO BE STORED INTO THE UPPER CAVERN; (K) CIRCULATING FRESH WATER THRU SAID BORE HOLE THRU ONE OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND REMOVING MEANS FROM AS NEEDED THRU THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AS SOLUTION AT A RATE WHICH PROVIDES A SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SALT SOLUTION; AND (L) TERMINATING PRODUCTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SALT SOLUTION, AS DESIRED.