Solankowy węzeł gordyjski

Abstract

The brine management — the Gordian knot in constructing the cavern storage facilitiesA b s t r a c t. In Poland is observed the growing interest in use of salt caverns for storing energy raw materials, oil derivatives and industrial waste. This interest, mainly platonic, is not comparable to the high importance of this problem in the western countries. Since completion of the modern stores of natural gas in the Mogilno dome and of petroleum and fuels in the Góra dome, this branch of industry has been abandoned for years while our western neighbours consequently and intensively develop the business of cavern storage. However, recently some new ideas related to this concept are appearing. In discourses and publications the cavern properties are widely discussed (especially the favourable ones) as well as geological aspects of storages location. The range of proposed media to be stored in caverns is wide: natural gas, petroleum and fuels, reactants for chemical synthesis, hazardous wastes, radioactive waste or even sequestrated CO2. Location of a cavern system is selected on the basis of the following criteria 1) investors’production and industrial needs; 2) geological and mining conditions; 3) water and brine management; 4) safety of the natural environment. What is the actual knowledge of the underground storage in Poland? Designers and builders of cavern storages basically accept the range of investors’needs reserving themselves the right to discuss general feasibility of specific tasks. Regional geological and mining conditions in Poland are well known, but still detailed researches for the needs of documentation of selected diapir and stratiformstructures are necessary. The key problem in the water and brine management (especially in the case of liquid products to be stored) is less recognized and it is usually solved as late as at the stage of technical designs. Strategic issues stemming from this problem in the case of extension of existing cavern storages are discussed superficially or even left out. The reason for such situation is difficult or even tender character of the problem. It must be emphasized that the present possibilities of brine managing within the Poland territory are exhausted. The brine dumping to the Baltic Sea is difficult, expensive, and quantitatively limited in terms of natural environment protection. Here are discussed the general strategic directions to create prospective solutions.