Experimental Research on Geomechanical and Petrophysical Properties of Bedded Salt Rocks for Salt Cavern Gas Storage

Against the background of global carbon reduction initiatives and ongoing energy transition, this study addresses the technical challenges of constructing salt cavern storage facilities in bedded salt formations. Typical bedded salt rocks in Southwest China were taken as the research object, and systematic core sampling and multi-dimensional laboratory tests were conducted to investigate their geomechanical and petrophysical properties. The tests included mechanical experiments such as direct shear, uniaxial and triaxial compression, as well as physical property measurements including permeability, porosity, SEM, XRD, and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results show that halite exhibits excellent plasticity and tight sealing performance, interlayers have high compressive strength, and mudstone is characterized by significant brittleness. All lithologies possess low permeability and dense internal structures. For this reason, they are well suited for salt cavern energy storage utilization. Furthermore, the research findings provide key basic data and a solid scientific basis. This study supports the construction of salt cavern gas storage and compressed air energy storage (CAES) plants in bedded salt rock areas.