Abstract
Conservation helium stored in Bush Dome Reservoir as crude helium, containing a mixture of approximately 70 pct helium and 30 pct nitrogen, displaces natural gas under pressure. A computing program was developed to simulate the movement of the crude helium that includes the effects of variations in the pressure-dependent gas properties of as many as three distinct gases and the effects of variations in reservoir structure, thickness, permeability, and porosity. The equations that represent two-dimensional transient flow of gases in a porous medium have been applied to test a 25-year crude helium storage plan. Results indicate that the crude helium can be maintained in a compact mass and that by controlling the flow rates of injection and withdrawal wells, it can be efficiently recovered.
