Abstract A method for the recovery of salt from a subsurface earth formation containing salt therein by injecting an aqueous liquid followed by an injection of a blanket liquid into a cavity formed in the formation with salt water produced therefrom. The cavity is formed within layers present in the formation which lie below layers containing salt suitable to increase the density of solution present in the cavity and is expanded upwards into these layers. The volume of liquid injected into the cavity and the volume of liquid produced therefrom is measured per unit of time and the difference between these two volumes is determined, the injection rate of the blanket liquid being selectively increased when the difference between the two volumes exceed a predetermined value and reduced when the difference between the two volumes falls below the predetermined value.
Inventors
👤 Daniel N Dietz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-07 03:51
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of reducing the injection rate of the blanket liquid when the difference has become zero.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of accompanying the increase in the injection rate of the blanket liquid by a reduction of the injection rate of the aqueous liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 3 including the step of reducing the injection rate of the aqueous liquid to zero.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 4 including the step of subsequently increasing the injection rate of the aqueous liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the step of increasing the injection rate of the aqueous liquid includes the step of increasing the injection rate simultaneously with the reduction of the injection rate of the blanket liquid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 5 including the step of resuming the injection of water after the solution present in the cavity has reached a concentration of the salt suitable to increase the density of the solution present in the cavity.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of stopping the injection of blanket liquid and removing said blanket liquid from the cavity before reducing the injection rate of the blanket liquid. 9 The method of claim 8 including the step of simultaneously replacing the removed blanket liquid by an equal volume of water.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the step of resuming the injection of water includes the step of injecting water saturated with salt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of injecting solid material into the cavity, measuring the volume of the solid material and adding said measured volume of solid material to the measured volume of injected liquid when calculating the difference between the volumes which are injected into the cavity and produced from the cavity per unit of time.