Method and device for horizontal bore mining

A method for mining an underground seam of material comprising coupling a mining tool to a pipe structure that extends along a borehole from a ground surface to the seam, which pipe structure separately delivering a first high pressure fluid and a second high pressure fluid to said mining tool, and having a passage for recovering a slurry containing mined material, said mining tool having:

• a plenum connected to and receiving the first high pressure fluid from the pipe structure;
• one or more fluidising jet nozzles fluidly connected to said plenum and directing said first high pressure fluid to mobilise material of the seam adjacent to said mining tool;
• and
• an eductor arrangement recovering and entraining said mined material in said second high pressure fluid flow delivered by the pipe structure, returning said material as a slurry along said passage,
• wherein the first high pressure fluid and the second high pressure fluid are fluidly isolated such that the first high pressure fluid received by the plenum is distinct from the second high pressure fluid at the eductor arrangement,
• said one or more fluidising jet nozzles being distally disposed relative to said pipe structure, and said eductor arrangement being proximally disposed relative to said pipe structure,
• wherein said mining tool is continuously withdrawn towards the ground surface along said borehole while fluid is fed to said one or more fluidising jet nozzles and said eductor arrangement such that said material is mobilised from said seam and recovered as said slurry through said proximally located eductor arrangement.