Method for the subterranean storage and withdrawal of a liquid

Claim 1

A method of storing liquid in an underground cavity connected to the surface of the ground by a borehole wherein a portion of formation face of said borehole is exposed to liquids which comprises: a. supporting in said borehole is a concentric arrangement at least three conduits comprising a first, second and third conduit, wherein said conduits communicate with the surface of the ground and wherein said first conduit has the smallest diameter and descents into the cavity a short distance from the bottom thereof, said second conduit is larger than the first conduit and smaller than the third conduit and descends into the cavity a short distance below the roof of said caviTy to form a first annular space between said first and second conduits, said second conduit having at least one opening through the wall thereof located a distance near the roof of the cavity and below the cemented portion of the third conduit, and said third conduit is cemented in the borehole and descends to a distance above the roof of said cavity to leave a portion of the formation face of said borehole exposed between the lower end of said third conduit and the roof of said cavity to form a second annular space between said second and third conduits and said exposed portion of the formation located between the lower end of said third conduit and the roof of said cavity; b. filling the cavity, the first conduit and the first and second annular spaces with a displacing liquid; c. transferring a sealing liquid which is less dense than the displacing liquid into the second annular space until said second annular space is filled with the sealing liquid to replace all the displacing liquid in said second annular space, said sealing liquid being non-detrimental to the cement employed to support the third conduit in place in the borehole and to the exposed formation face; and d. transferring a volume of liquid to be stored which is denser than said displacing liquid into the cavity through the first conduit to displace a corresponding volume of displacing liquid from the cavity and leaving a column of said storage liquid in said first conduit.

Claim 2

A method of storing liquid in an underground cavity connected to the surface of the ground by a borehole wherein a portion of formation face of said borehole is exposed to liquids which comprises: a. supporting in said borehole is a concentric arrangement at least three conduits comprising a first, second and third conduit, wherein said conduits communicate with the surface of the ground and wherein said first conduit has the smallest diameter and descents into the cavity a short distance from the bottom thereof, said second conduit is larger than the first conduit and smaller than the third conduit and descends into the cavity a short distance below the roof of said caviTy to form a first annular space between said first and second conduits, said second conduit having at least one opening through the wall thereof located a distance near the roof of the cavity and below the cemented portion of the third conduit, and said third conduit is cemented in the borehole and descends to a distance above the roof of said cavity to leave a portion of the formation face of said borehole exposed between the lower end of said third conduit and the roof of said cavity to form a second annular space between said second and third conduits and said exposed portion of the formation located between the lower end of said third conduit and the roof of said cavity; b. filling the cavity, the first conduit and the first and second annular spaces with a displacing liquid; c. transferring a sealing liquid which is less dense than the displacing liquid into the second annular space until said second annular space is filled with the sealing liquid to replace all the displacing liquid in said second annular space, said sealing liquid being non-detrimental to the cement employed to support the third conduit in place in the borehole and to the exposed formation face; and d. transferring a volume of liquid to be stored which is denser than said displacing liquid into the cavity through the first conduit to displace a corresponding volume of displacing liquid from the cavity and leaving a column of said storage liquid in said first conduit.