Solution Mining Research Institute

Continuing programs of Research are: correlation of physical characteristics of various salt with mechanical properties for design purposes; collection, storage and distribution of standard rock salt specimens; evaluating strain measurements at cavern stassfurt; thermal expansion coefficient of rock salt to address thermal induced stresses in cyclic storage caverns; creep behavior under small deviatoric stress. Four Research projects completed in 2021 that are of importance to the industry were: optimization of critical flow velocity in partially confined hanging strings; optimization of cavern backfilling techniques; update of the past salt cavern incident database; and development of a suitable monitoring system to measure axial loads in casings.

The Institute held semi-annual meeting of members regarding major aspects of Solution Mining. The conferences were held in rapid city, south dakota and chester, england. Both conferences had a virtual option for those members electing that option.