The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 12, 1997
Jean-Gerard Durup, Le Raincy, FR;
Guy Boris, Le Kremlin-Bicetre, FR;
Yvon Charnavel, Rosny-Sous-Bois, FR;
Gaz de France (G.D.F.) Service National, Paris, FR;
Abstract
A process for hollowing out a cavity, by dissolution, in a ground formation comprising at least one layer containing predominantly salt, the process including the steps of drilling at least one hole having a substantially horizontal section arranged at least in part in the salt layer, providing in the drilled hole(s) an injection pipe, an extraction pipe and a preliminary communication space connecting the injection pipe and the extraction pipe, injecting a solvent of the salt, into the communication space, through one end of the injection pipe forming an injection point, extracting, through the extraction pipe, the brine formed by the dissolution of the salt, in contact with the solvent, producing a plurality of preliminary sub-cavities in the salt layer, and producing a succession of channels, isolated from the layer, the succession of channels connecting the plurality of preliminary sub-cavities in a fluid manner two at a time in order to form an open circuit for circulation of the solvent, expending between a first sub-cavity and a last sub-cavity, the preliminary sub-cavities and the channels defining the preliminary communication space.