Apparatus and method of mining subterranean rubble piles
AssigneePPG Industries Canada Ltd.
InventorsByron P. Edmonds, Selby W. Porter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method of solution mining the mineral content of a subterranean cavity containing a rubble pile positioned on the floor thereof and the subterranean cavity communicating with the surface by at least two boreholes, by drilling a liner through a cased borehole into the rubble pile, disconnecting the drill string from the liner, withdrawing the drill string from the borehole, introducing into the borehole a sealing meant to seal the annular space between the liner and the casing, introducing a solvent into the cavity and withdrawing from the cavity a solution enriched in the mineral contained in the rubble.
Claims11
A method of solution mining the mineral content of a subterranean cavity containing a rubble pile positioned on the floor thereof, the subterranean cavity communicating with the surface by one or more boreholes, comprising introducing into a cased borehole communicating with the cavity a drill string having a liner positioned on the lower end of the string and a drill bit positioned on the lower end of the liner, the drill string and liner being joined by quick release connecting means, drilling into the rubble pile to a predetermined depth, the upper portion of the liner being within competent casing, disconnecting the drill string from the liner by the quick release connecting means, withdrawing the drill string, establishing communication between the liner and the cavity, introducing sealing means into the borehole to seal off the annular space between the liner and the casing, connecting said sealing means to the liner, introducing solvent into the cavity and withdrawing from the cavity a solution enriched in the mineral contained in the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.