Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Continuous solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells reduces plastic deformation zones to 3.4% of cavern volume and volumetric shrinkage below 17%, significantly improving stability compared to layered mining. • The continuous method produces caverns 2.43 times larger than layered mining, reducing unit volume costs to 41.1% and enhancing resource recovery. • Layered solution mining leads to uneven plastic deformation zones, roof subsidence, and floor heave, posing interlayer connectivity risks and structural instability. • Continuous solution mining demonstrates superior economic and stability advantages, making it a promising approach for large-scale implementation in bedded salt formations.
Abstract
Salt deposits in China predominantly originate from lake deposits, characterized by thin salt beds interspersed with numerous interlayers, collectively termed bedded salt formations. Historically, the solution mining practices have adopted the layered solution mining approach, inspired by coal mining techniques. However, this approach fails to account for the unique challenges of salt solution mining. Practical implementation is inefficient, costs escalate post-construction, and cavern geometry is constrained by salt beds thickness. Additionally, resource loss in abandoned beds and stability risks in adjacent mining zones remain unresolved. This study investigates mining scheme selection for low-grade salt deposits in Huai’an Salt Basin, introducing a continuous solution mining method that traverses multiple interlayers. Through comprehensive analysis of plastic deformation in caverns and surrounding rock, volume shrinkage rates, and economic costs comparing continuous and layered solution mining approaches, the results demonstrate that: (1) In the layered solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells scheme, plastic deformation zones propagate unevenly, posing interlayer connectivity risks. Concurrently, roof subsidence and floor heave destabilize the structure; (2) the continuous solution mining with horizontal interconnected wells scheme reduces plastic deformation zones to 3.4% of cavern volume, with volumetric shrinkage below 17%, markedly improving stability; (3) Economically, the continuous solution mining scheme generates caverns 2.43 times larger than the layered solution mining, slashing unit volume costs to 41.1% while enhancing resource recovery and long-term viability. The continuous method demonstrates distinct economic advantages and achieves higher resource utilization efficiency in solution mining compared to layered mining. Furthermore, its superior cavern stability presents strong potential for large-scale implementation.
1. Introduction
Salt rock resources hold significant strategic value for energy storage globally. Current estimates suggest total global reserves of approximately 2.1 trillion tons [1,2], primarily distributed in the United States, Germany, Canada, and China. Marine sedimentary salt domes in Europe and North America exhibit simple structures, extensive distribution (thickness exceeding 3000 m), and high salt purity. These formations are not only suitable for traditional mining but also ideal for large-scale underground storage facilities, such as compressed air energy storage (CAES) [3–5], hydrogen storage [6–8] and oil storage, due to their superior sealing capability, plastic deformation capability and stability. The slender vertical caverns formed by single-well convection with oil/gas blanket solution mining in these regions have proven effective for long-term storage stability.
The salt deposits of China exhibit complex geological features: multilayered interbedded structures dominate in eastern terrestrial basins, while marine sedimentary characteristics persist in western regions like the Tarim Basin. This geological diversity enables underground energy storage development: within bedded salt formations, interlayers serve as natural impermeable barriers, but they also pose challenges for solution mining. Traditional layered mining methods, adapted from coal mining, are inefficient and fail to address the unique issues of salt solution mining, such as cavern geometry constraints and stability risks. This study introduces a continuous solution mining method that traverses multiple interlayers, offering a more efficient and stable alternative for low-grade salt deposits.
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ZHANG Hao, ZHANG Guimin, LIU Kai, FU Xinghui, LI Yinping, LIU Yuxuan (2025). Schemes comparation of layered and continuous solution mining in bedded salt formations by horizontal interconnected wells. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.10.003
Research & Educational Purpose Only:The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoTechIntel are intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main differences between layered and continuous solution mining in bedded salt formations?
Layered solution mining follows coal mining techniques, extracting salt bed by bed, which leads to inefficient operations, high costs, and stability issues. Continuous solution mining traverses multiple interlayers in a single operation, resulting in larger caverns, better stability, and lower unit costs.
How does continuous solution mining improve cavern stability compared to layered mining?
Continuous solution mining reduces plastic deformation zones to 3.4% of cavern volume and keeps volumetric shrinkage below 17%, whereas layered mining causes uneven deformation, roof subsidence, and floor heave, leading to instability.
What are the economic benefits of continuous solution mining?
Continuous solution mining generates caverns 2.43 times larger than layered mining, reducing unit volume costs to 41.1% and enhancing resource recovery, making it more economically viable.
Why is continuous solution mining considered more suitable for China's bedded salt deposits?
China's salt deposits are typically thin and interbedded with many layers. Continuous solution mining can efficiently extract salt across multiple layers, improving resource utilization and stability, which is crucial for large-scale implementation.
What are the potential applications of the caverns created by continuous solution mining?
The caverns created by continuous solution mining exhibit superior stability, making them suitable for large-scale underground storage facilities, such as compressed air energy storage, hydrogen storage, and oil storage.
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