Efficient Method for Estimating Groundwater Head in the Vicinity of the Underground Gas Storage Caverns in Fractured Media
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 14, Issue 3
Abstract
Water tightness is an essential factor for the operation of underground highly pressurized gas storage caverns. To secure this tightness, the groundwater pressure must be greater than the gas pressure, and the groundwater head at a piezometer should not be lowered below the marginal head. However, various factors may affect variations in the groundwater head around storage caverns. The most influential factors are rainfall and the operating pressure of caverns. Bacterial clogging may reduce permeability and geological compaction may cause an abnormal head drop. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict the groundwater head under given conditions and find the quantitative reasons for head changes. In this study, the response function model, which explains the relationship between the groundwater head and external stresses is developed using the weighted multiple linear regression method. This model is effectively used to understand the cause of head variation in the area of underground liquefied petroleum gas storage caverns. The head difference in the observed and computed value may be used to evaluate the stability of the groundwater system.
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Acknowledgments
The writers express their thanks for grants from the Construction Infra-structure Technology Research and Development Project (UNSPECIFIEDCode05-A03-01) of KICTTEP and MOCT, SWRRC (code: 2-2-3) of the 21st Century Frontier Research Program, and the Basic Research Project (UNSPECIFIED08-3211) in Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. The contributions from the engineers of Pyongtaek LPG terminal of SK Gas Co., Ltd. are gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 14 • Issue 3 • March 2009
Pages: 261 - 270
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 16, 2007
Accepted: Jun 3, 2008
Published online: Mar 1, 2009
Published in print: Mar 2009
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