Underground mineral extraction

In a method for extracting an underground mineral by means of a device that emits water and moves underground, and that is connected through a hose that extends along a hole in the ground to a pumping rig on the ground, the improvement comprising:

• establishing a water pipeline with a portion that extends along the ground in a direction away from the vicinity of said hole, with a plurality of couplings spaced along said pipeline portion;
• establishing a hose handling means at said hole to guide said hose in movement into and out of said hole;
• and
• moving a pump along said pipeline while said pump holds and is connected to an end portion of said pipe, with the pump progressively connected to couplings spaced progressively along said water pipeline, while guiding said pipeline with respect to said hole in a loop or more than 90.degree. by said hose handling means while it lies near said hole.

In a remote underground mineral extraction system which includes an underground water-emitting device, and a water source near the earth's surface, the improvement comprising:

• a water conduit coupling the water source and water-emitting device;
• valve means disposed at said device and responsive to fluid pressure pulses for controlling water emission from said device;
• a pipe having one end connected in parallel to said water conduit and another end connected to said valve means to transmit the water pressure to said valve means without the pipe affecting the free flow of water along said conduit towards the water emitting device;
• and
• means located near the earth's surface for generating pressure pulses in the water in said conduit.

A method for extracting an underground mineral, comprising:

• comminuting said mineral along a plurality of successive elongated passages, with each successive passage lying substantially parallel to and adjacent to the prior passage, and with the lower ends of at least some of the passages lying substantially along an inclined drain gallery that extends largely perpendicular to said passages;
• mixing fluid with said mineral to form a slurry;
• and
• raising said mineral to near the ground level from a location along said inclined gallery;
• said steps of comminuting and mixing including emitting a high pressure stream of water in a largely sideward direction with respect to the length of a passage, from a vehicle moving along the middle of the passage, including turning at least the water-emitting portion of said vehicle about an axis substantially coaxial with the length of the passage.

Mineral fracturing apparatus, comprising:

• a water-carrying conduit, including an end forming a nozzle with a throat;
• means for injecting separated drops of a vaporizable liquid into said conduit, to flow with water therein through and out of the nozzle;
• and
• shock absorbing means including multiple holes formed in the inner surface of said nozzle along a portion thereof which lies up-path from the throat, whereby to prevent the explosion of a drop of said vaporizable liquid near the throat from causing the premature explosion of the next drop.

A method for extracting an underground mineral, comprising:

• comminuting said mineral along a plurality of successive elongated passages, with each successive passage lying substantially parallel to and adjacent to the prior passage, and with the lower ends of at least some of the passages lying substantially along an inclined drain gallery that extends largely perpendicular to said passages;
• mixing fluid with said mineral to form a slurry;
• and
• raising said mineral to near the ground level from a location along said inclined gallery;
• said steps of comminuting and mixing including emitting a high pressure stream of water in a largely sideward direction with respect to the length of a passage, from a vehicle moving along the middle of the passage, including turning at least the water-emitting portion of said vehicle about an axis substantially coaxial with the length of the passage, and emitting more water at 90.degree. spaced positions than halfway between said positions, whereby to form a largely square cross-section passage.