Erdgas-Kavernenspeicher Kraak : Neue technologische Möglichkeiten für die Kavernenerrichtung im Binnenland

Hamburger Gaswerke GMBH (HGW) intends to construct a cavern storage site in the structure Kraak near the town of Schwerin. The supply of working gas volume ofapprox. 130 million m 3 in two caverns is planned by the year 2004. The leaching operations started at January 1997. The first cavern will be commisioned in the year 2000. The exploration of the Kraak salt structure and the deep-located Mesozoic aquifer reservoir for brine disposal were finished successfully in 1995. There are some new technological peculiarities nessassary to build this cavern storage site in the interior of a country without any possibilities to discharge the brine into a river nor to build a pipeline to the open sea. That is the reason why new ways had to be found for the environmental friendly discharge of the brine. The alternative is the brine discharge by injection into geological formations. For cavern leaching HGW use biologically conditioned fresh water The brine which is to be injected is conditioned in a comprehensive mechanical and chemical way so that the characteristics of the injection horizon remain unchanged over as many as years as possible.