Methodology and results of research of stable span sizes of brine chambers (for conditions of Yar-Bishkadak brine field)

Abstract

At the Yar-Bishkadak field the rock salt deposit with the thickness of 200-700 m and the thickness of covering rocks of 500-600 m is developed by underground dissolution through wells from the surface. The development is carried out by individual vertical chambers, the diameter of which, according to the project, is equal to 100 meters. Due to untimely control of erosion results, there are deviations from the project, sometimes the diameters of the chambers reach 160-190 m, so it is not clear how much the actual outcrops of excavations meet the requirements of stability. The current absence of surface shifts and large outcrops in the chambers associated with the cessation of operation of wells is not yet a sufficient guarantee of the safety of further development, as the duration of operation of the chambers (3-15 years) is short compared to their total service life (50-80 years). As a result, there is a need to predict the stability of rocks and determine the maximum allowable spans of brine excavations.