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The engineering behind the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve

281 points · 115 comments · johnjwang

  1. redwood · · focus · HN ↗
    Dumb question but why not pump it back into where it was pulled from.. or just leave it in a a reserve paid for by the gov
    1. schainks · · focus · HN ↗
      Brine is useful to sell to industry.

      AIUI, salt caverns don’t like to be filled with brine because they become more susceptible to temperature changes of the earth and pressure from surrounding rock. Both can heat the cavern, which is bad for structural integrity.

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