Register Now for the Solution Mining Research Institute Fall 2025 – September 28-October 1, 2025 – Wichita, KS

The Conference Announcement is now available for the SMRI Fall 2025 Conference in Wichita, Kansas, USA, taking place September 28- October 1, 2025, and contains information about technical presentations, field trips, and other aspects of the event. Event details can also be viewed on this page below the registration section.

Conference Registration
In-Person Registration
Member Registration for the Wichita Conference will open Wednesday 16 July, Non-Member registration will open 13 August. Registration will close on 5 September; any late registrations are subject to a $250 fee, subject to space availability. Please contact Dawn (dawnl@solutionmining.org) or Rachel Cunningham (Rcunningham@solutionmining.org) regarding any questions about registration.

Virtual Registration
SMRI will once again welcome members and non-members to register for the Fall 2025 Virtual Conference to be streamed live from Wichita on Monday, 29 September and Tuesday, 30 September. Virtual attendees will receive information regarding the hosting platform approximately one week prior to the conference. The Technical Session presentations will be recorded during the live conference and available on the virtual conference platform for viewing for 30 days after the Conference.

The optional Technical Class “Basic Logging Operations for Salt Cavern Development” will be streamed as a virtual component to the conference and attendees will participate in the class through the same platform as the Technical Sessions. The class will be streamed live only and not available for on-demand viewing following the completion of the conference.

Conference Information
Technical Class: Basic Logging Operations for Salt Cavern Development

The Technical Class, typically held on Sunday prior to the Technical Sessions, is designed to be an introductory course or refresher course for the variety of disciplines and management levels that work in the solution mining environment and with solution mined caverns. “Basic Logging Operations for Salt Cavern Development” was chosen as the topic for the Technical Class for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 based on a survey by SMRI leadership to members. The schedule for this class will be released in the coming weeks.\

The SMRI has continued to be a leader in solution mining concepts with many research projects and technical presentations over the past 50 years. To outline this historical knowledge and provide further insight into these concepts, the SMRI has proposed a tentative list of topics for the Technical Class including:

• Overview of Logging Needs for Salt Cavern Development
• Geological Characterization
• Drilling Phase
• Solution Mining Phase
• Completion, Operation, and Abandonment Processes
• Composite Log Data Review
• Overall Geologic Evaluation Including Microseismic

The class schedule allows ample time for the topic, questions, and open discussion during session. It also provides opportunities to continue conversations with peers during included coffee breaks and lunch.

Monday Night Networking Event
On Monday, September 29, guests will have the opportunity to step back in time and experience aviation history at the Kansas Aviation Museum, once Wichita’s original airport and famously the 4th busiest airport in the United States during its heyday. Guests will enjoy exclusive, private access to the entire museum — from its historic halls to the expansive outdoor ramp, featuring over a dozen remarkable aircraft, including the legendary B-52 and B-47 bombers. As you explore this unique venue, savor a delicious southern cuisine buffet, thoughtfully prepared to complement the evening’s atmosphere. Bus transportation to the museum will begin at 5:15pm. Following the museum visit, dinner will begin at 8:15pm, ending at 10:30pm. Buses will take guests back to the hotel. Cost is $100 per person.

Field Trips
Trips will take place on Wednesday 1 October, both will be available in English.

Field Trip 1
ONEOK & Williams Conway, Kansas Facilities
This trip will visit the ONEOK and Williams facilities in Conway, Kansas. ONEOK and Williams staff will allow the group to tour their respective facilities and discuss operations, visit well heads, and cavern emplacement operations at the Williams site (weather permitting). The day will include a presentation on the geology in the Conway area and the dissolution zone below the surface. The group will view core and downhole logs of on-site wells.

TAs part of the field trip, Thru Tubing Solutions, Cudd Pressure Control, and Well Control School will be showcasing equipment and providing lunch. The showcase will be a hands on and detailed demonstration of equipment used in Salt Cavern Storage Operations. Equipment examples: Capillary Inflatable Packer, Mills, Flow Control Plug, Wellhead Freeze, Casing Cutter, Hot Tap, Gate Valve Drillout, Well Control Equipment, Well Control School, PRIME, and other services provided under the RPC, Inc. umbrella. Operators will have the opportunity to see equipment that they don’t usually see in their daily operations. Each company will provide brochures, QR codes, and videos of the equipment on site.

The maximum capacity for this trip is 50. The $90.00 cost is all-inclusive of transportation to/from the hotel, the guided tour, breakfast and lunch. The field trip time is anticipated to be 7:30AM – 5:00PM.

Field Trip 2
Strataca Salt Museum, Hutchinson Salt Mine, and UV&S Tour
This trip will depart the hotel for Hutchinson, Kansas where you travel 650 ft below ground into the Hutchinson Salt Mine. The mine is split into three sections: Strataca – the Underground Salt Museum, Hutchinson Salt Co, and UV&S – Underground Vault and Storage. Temperatures should be around 68 degrees, and some walking surfaces may be uneven, please dress appropriately.

The morning will start in Strataca with a guided tour through the Permian Room into the museum galleries including exhibits, movie costumes and props, and the original mining equipment used by the Carey Salt Company. The tour will also include a 30-minute dark ride explaining the challenges and unique solutions required to keep the mines safe and functional, and a 15-minute train ride reviewing the processes and tools used to clear out the 980 acres of excavated rock. After lunch in the museum, Hutchinson Salt Co. will provide a guided tour of the active section of the mine. The day will wrap up with a visit to the Underground Vaults & Storage section of the mine. UV&S leased the use of the mined-out areas for 100 years in 1959 and is most known for its storage of fine-grain negatives of Hollywood films. The company also stores government documents, museum artifacts, historical documents and much more.

The maximum capacity for this trip is 50. The $90.00 cost is all-inclusive of transportation to/from the hotel, the guided tour, breakfast, and lunch. The field trip time is anticipated to be 7:45AM – 5PM.

Travel Information
The Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Wichita located at 400 W Waterman St, Wichita, KS 67202. Reservations in the SMRI room block are available now at this link: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/WICRW/G-SM25. Each SMRI participant is responsible to book their own hotel reservations.

Wichita’s closest airport is the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) located 6 miles from the Hyatt Hotel. The Hyatt Regency offers a courtesy shuttle to and from the Airport.

SMRI Logo Garments
SMRI is offering 60th Anniversary-branded short sleeve Polo shirts for $40, and Long Sleeve Fleece shirts for $50 in sizes Small – 3XL. Orders must be submitted through the form linked below by 8 August, 2025, and all orders must be picked up at the Fall 2025 Wichita Conference. If you have any questions about these articles or submitting an order, please reach out to support@solutionmining.org.

SMRI Thanks our Fall 2025 Sponsors:
Hometown Hero Sponsor: Strata, LLC
Ice Breaker Bar Sponsors: Agapito Associates | LANE POWER & ENERGY SOLUTIONS, INC. | Tiberius Energy Services, LLC
Ice Breaker After Party Sponsors: Lonquist & Co., LLC | BOP Solutions LLC
Diamond Sponsors: Empire Wireline | Sonic Surveys | WSP
Platinum Sponsors: Opportunities Available
Gold Sponsors: DarkVision | Flodim | Graco Oilfield Services | Lonquist & Co., LLC | RESPEC | Texas Brine Company, LLC
Silver Sponsors: Cavern Solutions, Inc. | Geostock Sandia LLC | KLX Energy Services | Sabine Storage & Operations, Inc. | SOCON SONAR WELL SERVICES, INC. | SubTerra Engineering
Bronze Sponsors: Alpha Geoscience | CUDD Pressure Control | Double B Well Services | Elemental Compliance | Patterson Services, Inc. | SaltPower | Seal-Tite® International | Thru Tubing Solutions
App Sponsor: Tiberius Energy Services, LLC

Sponsorships are still available. Please contact Rachel Cunningham (rcunningham@solutionmining.org) or Dawn Langlinais (dawnl@solutionmining.org) for more information.

We look forward to seeing you in September.