Solution Mining Research Institute
Solution Mining Research Institute is a non-profit, member-driven research organization serving the solution mining and underground cavern storage industries through conferences, technical publications, and proprietary simulation software (SALGAS, SALT_SUBSID, SMRI TOOLBOX).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersClifton Park, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Solution Mining Research Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solution Mining Research Institute
- Legal name
- Solution Mining Research Institute, Inc.
- Website
- https://solutionmining.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Solution Mining Research Institute is a non-profit, member-driven research organization serving the solution mining and underground cavern storage industries through conferences, technical publications, and proprietary simulation software (SALGAS, SALT_SUBSID, SMRI TOOLBOX).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Solution Mining Research Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clifton Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Solution Mining Research Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide access to the library, software licenses, conference registration at member rates, and voting rights to determine research project funding.
- Software Licensing: SMRI members receive free software licenses for SALGAS, SALT_SUBSID, and SMRI Toolbox. Non-members can purchase single user licenses: SALGAS ($2500), SALT_SUBSID ($1000), TOOLBOX ($250).
- Conference Registration: Hosting two annual conferences with technical classes, technical paper presentations, and field trips. Member registration rates available with special discounted rates for Class R members for conference technical classes.
- Library and Research Reports Sales: Non-members can purchase SMRI Research Reports or Meeting Papers by contacting SMRI. Research Reports are restricted to member use for one year after publication and are priced at 1% of the cost of the research project paid by SMRI. World Salt Symposium papers are for SMRI member use only.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SMRI SALGAS - Solution Mining Simulation Software |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SMRI TOOLBOX - Calculator and Reference Software |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SMRI SALT_SUBSID - Surface Subsidence Simulation Software |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Research Reports and Meeting Papers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Solution Mining Research Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SMRI is a non-profit, member-driven institute that delivers specialized education, technical reference information, and applied research to the global solution mining and storage cavern industries. Its commercial offerings include three proprietary simulation and calculation software tools (SALGAS, SALT_SUBSID, and the SMRI TOOLBOX), a technical library exceeding 3,700 documents, and two annual member conferences, all developed and maintained for industry operators, consultants, regulators, and academic researchers.
Product overview
Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI) is a non-profit, member-driven organization that provides specialized education, technical reference information, and research to the solution mining and storage cavern industries. SMRI offers three proprietary Windows-based software products: SALGAS for solution mining simulation (simulating salt dissolution by water), SALT_SUBSID for surface subsidence modeling over underground salt/potash/trona openings, and SMRI TOOLBOX for calculators and general reference tools for hydrocarbon storage operators and brine producers. SMRI software is free for members and available for purchase by non-members. The organization also maintains a library of over 3,700 technical documents, hosts two annual conferences with technical classes, and conducts active research projects in areas such as hydrogen storage in salt caverns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SALGAS
Quantifiable outcome
- Library access to 3,700+ documents
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Solution Mining Research Institute
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Solution Mining Research Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Solution Mining Research Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- AtkinsRealisminorConference sponsor for Fall 2026 SMRI Conference in West Yellowstone, MT.
- Various Conference SponsorsminorMultiple companies sponsor SMRI conferences including Empire Wireline, DarkVision, Eclipse, FLOODIM, Gulf Companies, Lane, Lonquist, Sonic Surveys, Subterra Engineering, Texas Brine, Clearwell Dynamics, Deep KBB, Respec, RFC Drilling, Sabine Storage, VWSpecialists, Agapito, Alpha Geoscience, Cudd Pressure, DB Drilling, ESK, Green Imaging, Micon, ThruTubing, Seal-Tite, SoCon, Strata, Well Engineering Partners, Williams, and Tiberius. These are sponsors for Spring 2026 Edinburgh and Fall 2025 Wichita conferences.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Solution Mining Research Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RESPEC: Engineering and consulting firm specializing in mining, energy, and underground storage. RESPEC develops and maintains SMRI's SALT_SUBSID surface subsidence simulation software and previously enhanced SALGAS in 1993, giving it direct involvement in the same technical domain and customer base as SMRI.
- Brouard Consulting: Independent consulting firm specializing in salt cavern gas storage engineering. Brouard Consulting created and supports SMRI's TOOLBOX software, serving the same hydrocarbon storage and brine production customer base as SMRI with overlapping technical expertise.
- The Salt Association: UK trade association representing the salt industry including producers using solution mining methods. The Salt Association shares SMRI's salt-industry member base and overlapping operator constituency, but operates at narrower geographic scope and without SMRI's cavern storage research depth.
Broad incumbents
- Gas Technology Institute (GTI Energy): Research organization focused on natural gas and energy technologies including storage. GTI shares SMRI's applied research model and gas storage topic coverage, but operates across the full natural gas value chain and broader energy transition rather than specializing in solution mining.
- Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE): The largest individual-member organization serving upstream oil and gas professionals worldwide. SPE overlaps with SMRI's cavern storage and subsurface engineering community through shared members, conferences, and technical papers, but operates at much broader scope across drilling, completions, and production.
- Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME): Professional society for mining engineers covering all mining methods including solution mining of trona, potash, and salt. SME shares SMRI's mining-focused professional community and overlapping member base, but operates at significantly broader scale across hard rock, coal, and industrial minerals.
- American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME): Professional institute for mining, metallurgical, and petroleum engineers founded in 1871. AIME overlaps with SMRI's solution mining and underground extraction domain through shared society membership and member organizations (SME, TMS, SPE, ISS), but addresses a much broader mining and metals portfolio.
- International Gas Union (IGU): Global organization promoting the gas industry across the full value chain. IGU shares SMRI's natural gas storage research interest and includes many cavern storage operators among its constituency, but covers the entire gas industry rather than specializing in cavern-specific applications.
Regional players
- Bureau of Economic Geology at UT Austin: Research unit of the University of Texas focused on energy, mineral resources, and geoscience including subsurface storage. The Bureau shares SMRI's cavern and subsurface research themes, but operates as an academic state-funded research entity serving primarily Texas and US Gulf Coast rather than as a worldwide member organization.
Others
- European Gas Research Group (GERG): European gas industry research coordination body representing leading gas companies. GERG shares SMRI's research-driven approach to gas topics including storage, but operates as an industry coordination platform rather than a member-driven research institute with proprietary software.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Solution Mining Research Institute social profiles
Digital presenceSolution Mining Research Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solution Mining Research Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Solution Mining Research Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solution Mining Research Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solution Mining Research Institute
What does Solution Mining Research Institute do?
SMRI is a non-profit, member-driven institute that delivers specialized education, technical reference information, and applied research to the global solution mining and storage cavern industries. Its commercial offerings include three proprietary simulation and calculation software tools (SALGAS, SALT_SUBSID, and the SMRI TOOLBOX), a technical library exceeding 3,700 documents, and two annual member conferences, all developed and maintained for industry operators, consultants, regulators, and academic researchers.
Is Solution Mining Research Institute a public or private company?
Solution Mining Research Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Solution Mining Research Institute founded?
Solution Mining Research Institute was founded in 1960. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Solution Mining Research Institute based?
Solution Mining Research Institute is headquartered in Clifton Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Solution Mining Research Institute make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are software Licensing, conference Registration and library and Research Reports Sales.
Who are Solution Mining Research Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RESPEC, Brouard Consulting and The Salt Association. Broad incumbents are Gas Technology Institute (GTI Energy), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) and International Gas Union (IGU). Bureau of Economic Geology at UT Austin is listed as a regional player. European Gas Research Group (GERG) is listed as an others.
Does Solution Mining Research Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solution Mining Research Institute.