The Conference Announcement for the SMRI Spring 2026 Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK is available now at this link. The Conference will take place 26 - 29 April, 2026. The Announcement includes details on the scheduled program, optional events (Tech Class, Monday Night Event, Field Trips, and Friends and Spouse events), and hotel links. The hotel rooms are filling fast so please book your reservations soon.

Conference Registration

In-Person Registration

Registration for the Edinburgh Conference will open for Members on 18 February, and 11 March for Non-Members; any late registrations are subject to a $250 fee, subject to space availability. Please contact Rachel Cunningham ([email protected]) regarding any questions about registration.

Virtual Registration

SMRI will once again welcome members and non-members to register for the Spring 2026 Virtual Conference to be streamed live from Edinburgh on Monday, 27 April and Tuesday, 28 April. 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 is included in the Conference Announcement.\

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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 Event

On Monday, 27 April, discover Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s Science Centre and Planetarium, where you can experience the epic story of our planet through immersive, hands-on exhibits. Set against the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh’s Sailsbury Crags, this remarkable venue offers access to explore millions of years of Earth’s history: explore the depths of the ocean, experience the chill of an iceberg and travel to a tropical rainforest. Enjoy a buffet dinner and drinks as you mingle, explore, and connect in this inspiring environment. Dress smart-casual for an evening of discovery and conversation. Dynamic Earth is a short walk from the Radisson Blu Hotel, with shuttle service available beginning at 6:15 PM. Cost is $125.00 per person.

If you have any dietary restrictions, please contact Rachel Cunningham prior to 3 April. 

Field Trips

Field Trip 1: DNV Spadeadam Facility & Roman Museum
This trip will depart the hotel early Wednesday morning for a day filled with technical and historical content. A ride through the Scottish landscape will bring participants to the beautiful borders region between Scotland and England. Here the group will spend time at the Houseteads roman museum, which is  located at the UNESCO world heritage site, Hadrian’s Wall. Hadrian's wall is the largest Roman Archaeological feature in northern England running 73 miles and is a part of the frontier of Roman empire that encompassed much of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

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Participants will then have a short bus ride to the DNV Spadeadam research and development facility where they will enjoy lunch and a guided tour of the facility. Included within the tour will be three spectacular large-scale demonstrations of gas explosions including:
  • Explosion Chamber – 5kg of propane mixed with air and ignited in a confined and congested steel chamber
  • Large Jet Fire – 70barg natural gas jet fire from a 20mm orifice
  • Hydrogen Detonation – 500g of hydrogen mixed with air and detonated using an explosive.
The facility utilizes the explosions for hazard awareness training courses to provide real life exposure to allow people to make decisions and preparations for potential accidents. Additional research and development topics in hydrogen safety, carbon capture, and natural gas infrastructure may be discussed.

Weather in Scotland can be variable, and so we recommend wearing layers and comfortable closed shoes suitable for walking indoors and outdoors.Cost is $125 and includes Lunch and Transportation. Maximum Capacity of 50.

 

Field Trip 2: Siccar Point with Professor Mark Wilkinson & University of Edinburgh Tour
Join us for a field visit to the iconic Siccar Point, one of the most celebrated geological sites in the world. First recognised by James Hutton in the 18th century, Siccar Point provides a dramatic and elegant illustration of foundational concepts in modern geology. The visit will be hosted by Professor Mark Wilkinson, whose insights will bring the landscape and its scientific legacy to life. After the visit to Siccar Point and lunch, we will continue with an exclusive tour of leading Research facilities in Edinburgh.

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At the FlowAVett Wave facility, attendees will see scaled models that simulate system fluid dynamics and wave interactions. This unique resource bridges theory and real-world behaviour in hydraulic and structural environments. Next will be the Applied Geoscience labs of the University of Edinburgh, which supports research in sedimentology, geochemistry, and geomechanics. You’ll see instrumentation used for sample characterisation, imaging, and testing that underpins research into Earth processes and subsurface systems. Finally, we will tour the University’s Structures and Materials Test Facilities, before returning to the Radisson. These labs facilitate experiments using advanced testing equipment fundamental to understanding geological materials.

Weather in Scotland can be variable, and so we recommend wearing layers and comfortable closed shoes suitable for walking indoors and outdoors.Cost is $75 and includes Lunch and Transportation. Maximum Capacity of 50.

 

Travel Information

The Conference will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre located at The Royal Mile, 80 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1TH, United Kingdom. Reservations in the SMRI room block for the Conference at the Radisson Blue Hotel can be made at their website: https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-edinburgh. When setting up your reservation:

    • Ensure destination is Radisson Blu, Edinburgh
    • Arrival/Departure dates between 21 April to 1 May are available at a £215.00/nightly rate (plus tax)
    • Number of adults (defaults to 2) please check if only for 1 person attending
    • Special Rates – select “Promotional Code” and add SMRI2026

SMRI has secured a secondary room block at the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton. Reservations are available at a £230.00/nightly rate for stays between 24 April and 1 May. Please use this link when making your reservations at the Carlton Hotel.

Each SMRI participant is responsible to book their own hotel reservations.

Edinburgh's closest airport is the Edinburgh Airport (EDI) located 8.4 miles from the Radisson Hotel. Taxi and bus transportation can be arranged on-site or booked in advance through the Edinburgh Airport website.

SMRI thanks our sponsors of the Spring 2026 Edinburgh Conference:

Hometown Hero Sponsor: AtkinsRéalis

Diamond Sponsors: Empire Wireline, LLC

Gold Sponsors: DarkVision Technologies | Eclipse E-Line Services, Inc. | FLODIM | Gulf ESS | LANE Power and Energy Solutions, Inc. | Lonquist & Co., LLC. | Sonic Surveys | SubTerra USA Corp | Texas Brine Company, LLC

Silver Sponsors: ClearWell Dynamics | DEEP.KBB GmbH | RESPEC, Inc. | RFC Drilling, LLC | Sabine Storage & Operations, Inc.

Bronze Sponsors: Agapito Associates, LLC | Alpha Geological Services, D.P.C. | CUDD Pressure Control | Double B Well Services, Ltd. | ESK GmbH | Green Imaging | MICON Drilling GmbH | THRU-TUBING Solutions | Seal-Tite International | SOCON Sonar Control Kavernenvermessung GmbH | Well Engineering Partners BV | Williams-Midstream G&P

App Sponsor:  Tiberius Energy Services

If you are interested in becoming a Sponsor for the SMRI Spring 2026 Edinburgh Conference, please take a look at  the Sponsor Application form.