GeneraI Sltuation of Salt Cavern Gas Storage Worldwide

The history of salt cavern used as gas storage in foreign countries can be traced back to the 1950s.Since the first salt cavern underground gas storage has been built in the Soviet Union in 1959, this technology has been widely used in North America and Europe, and salt cavern underground gas storages have been built one after another in France, Germany, Great Britain and Danmark.Up to 2009, total capacity in 74 salt cavern gas storages worldwide is up to 229.42 × 10⁸ m³, working gas capacity is up to 161.98×10⁸ m³, which cover 70.6% of total capacity.In China, research on salt cavern gas storage began in 1999.During the construction of West-to-East Gas Pipeline Proiect, the first gas storage to be constructed in Jintan, Jiangsu Province was determined.At present, storage capacity in 6 cavities is up to 1.1×10⁸ m³,the first newly-drilled wells are in under construction, cavity shell formation will be fulfilled at the end of 2009, which can make up a peak shaving capacity of 3.8 × 10⁸ m³.Up to now in America and Germany.construction of salt cavern gas storages have rapidly developed; and for this reason, construction techniques in salt cavern gas storage in America and salt dome/salt formation in Germany are introduced in detail.