Design and seepage discharge analysis of artificial water curtains for water sealed underground petroleum storage caverns in rock

The application and principles of artificial water curtain are studied. The study model originates from the layout of Huangdao water sealed underground petroleum storage rock caverns. Through simulating seepage field under excavation and operation conditions, the effect of artificial water curtains is studied. It is concluded that the artificial water curtaining is very important for stabilizing underground water table and maintaining hydraulic seal conditions. The agreement between the approximate analytical solution and numerical solution of seepage discharge of storage caverns shows that the approximate analytical method and FLAC numerical method can effectively and reasonably estimate the seepage discharge of storage caverns. The seepage field analysis and seepage discharge analysis for the water sealed underground petroleum storage caverns can provide instructive reference for the optimum design of artificial water curtaining.