Laboratory Similarity Test Relevant to Salt Cavern Construction in Interlayer-Containing Moulded Saliferous Aggregates Specimen

Based on dimensional analysis, a similarity test relevant to salt cavern construction in interlayer-containing moulded saliferous aggregates was conducted. This moulded saliferous aggregates specimen can replace the drilling salt core for solution mining test. Experiments on the salt cavern construction adopting conventional single-well solution mining technology were performed in moulded saliferous aggregates specimen with two occurrence states: single-interlayer and double- interlayer. In the experiments, a method for determining the oil-water interface and cavern shape based on the conductive characteristics of saturated brine has been proposed. The experimental results illustrate that when the location of oil blanket is in the vicinity of the interlayer, the construction rate or leaching rate decreases because the interlayer reduces the effective dissolution area, and hinders the convection and diffusion of brine. Based on the adoptive dimensional analysis, the relationship between indoor model experiment and real-field salt cavern construction has been developed. Combining the results of indoor model experiments and numerical predictions using the simulation software SCB1.0, the capability of the new method to conduct solution mining process has been validated and could guide the field salt cavern construction.