Pilot project shows liquefied gas is stored successfully at low temperature in clay

The feasibility of low-temperature underground liquefied gas storage led Geostock and Distrigaz to establish a pilot area for propane storage in a clay pit in Schelle, Belgium. Tests determining the thermal and geothermal behavior of the gallery and surrounding beds defined the optimal shape of the pilot cavity - a 10-ft wide, 98-ft long cylindrical gallery located in Boom's clay at a depth of 75 ft and cooled down with liquid nitrogen injection to temperatures ranging from -49/sup 0/ to -320/sup 0/F. This storage method embodies the following technical advantages: (1) a mean operating pressure equal to atmospheric pressure that can be raised to 44-58 psi and (2) the possibility of refrigerated loading and unloading. Costs for this type of facility depend essentially on geographic location, operating parameters, capacity, and environment.