EAST TEXAS NATURAL GAS STORAGE FACILITY BEGINS SERVICE: AGL Resources Builds Caverns at Historic Spindletop Salt Dome

摘要

AGL Resources has completed part of a new natural gas storage facility in the Texas Gulf Coast region that will be well positioned to link new supply sources and growing natural gas markets across the United States. Golden Triangle Storage is located on the historic Spindletop Dome in Jefferson County near Beaumont, Texas, U.S.A., site of the original Texas oil boom in 1901. A very small area of the 1.5 mi. (2.4 km) diameter salt dome was hollowed out using solution mining techniques from approximately 0 5 to 1.0 mi. (0 8 to 1.6 km) below ground to create the first cavern. In the first phase, two caverns, separated by more than 600 ft. (183 m) of solid salt, will have approximately 18 Bcf (510 × 10~6 m~3) of total capacity and 13 Bcf (370 × 10~6 m~3) of working gas capacity - the amount of natural gas that can be put into storage and later withdrawn as needed to serve customers. The caverns will also each contain approximately 3 Bcf (85 × 10~6 m~3) of "pad gas" - an amount that must remain in the cavern to keep it operable and maintain minimum pressure.