ABSTRACT
The effects of transient creep in salt caverns are discussed. Salt behavior is viscoplastic: following a change in cavern pressure, a slow redistribution of stress takes place. This explains the long duration of any transient phase in a cavern. Stress redistribution also makes fracturing easier when cavern pressure is kept low for a long period of time. “Reverse” creep, a transient mechanical phenomenon that can be observed in the laboratory, also exists in salt caverns and may lead to misinterpretation of Mechanical Integrity Tests.
