The fluid content of salt rocks is an important parameter to evaluate their barrier properties. The measurements are time intensive, and the results are highly dependent on the sample selection and preparation. Nuclear magnetic relaxation relaxometry is an established non-invasive petrophysical method, but it has not been used extensively for rock salt to date. The first results show that NMR has promising features with respect to the analysis of the fluid content of salt rocks.

Plane strain ductile deformation experiments on rock salt (halite) samples with variable siliciclastic content were conducted. While halite accomodates the strain by the formation of subgrains, deformation in the siliclastic domains was brittle. An increase in the siliclastic content leads to an increase in differential stress of the halite matrix. The results suggest that the barrier properties of rock salt is significantly reduced by larger content of siliciclastic material.