Bore hole mining

A drilling method of mining coal utilizing reverse direction drilling equipment with a high torque drill bit attached at the end of a drill string and a water circulating mechanism, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) drilling into the earth from the surface of the earth with the drill bit for breaking up the coal;
• (b) maintaining water in the drilled hole during the normal drilling operation;
• (c) circulating water through the drill string across the surface of the drill bit and extracting water from the hole for removing broken coal from the drilled hole;
• (d) during portions of the drilling operation intentionally inducing creep in portions of the walls of the drilled hole by reducing the hydrostatic pressure created by water in the drilled hole against the side walls of the hole for causing such portions to partially cave in;
• (e) retracting the drill bit from the drilled hole so that as the drill bit is retracted further drilling of the coal from the portions of the walls that have caved in occurs;
• and,
• (f) removing broken coal as the drill bit is retracted from the drilled hole.

A drilling system for mining coal by drilling into the earth from the surface of the earth, breaking up the coal and extracting the broken coal from the drilled hole by circulating fluid through the portions of the drilling system in the drilled hole, the drilling system comprising:

• primary drilling bit means arranged at the forward end of the system for drilling into the earth and having a plurality of drilling bits;
• drilling string member for attaching said drilling bit means to portions of said drilling system arranged on the surface of the earth;
• means for rotating said drilling bits without rotating said drilling string member;
• stabilizing means coupled to said drilling string member near said drilling bit means for securing said drilling bit means against lateral movement for enabling said drilling bits to drill along a coal seam in the earth that extends at an angular orientation with respect to the surface of the earth;
• and,
• secondary drilling bit means arranged near but above and concentric with said primary drilling bit means for enabling coal that has fallen into the drilled hole to be drilled when retracting said drilling string member and said primary drilling bit means from a drilled hole.

A method of mining coal utilizing reverse direction drilling equipment with a drilling bit attached at the end of a drill string and a water circulating mechanism, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) drilling in a foward direction in the earth from the surface of the earth in a direction extending along a coal seam with the drilling bit for breaking up the coal;
• (b) extracting broken coal from the drilled hole during the drilling operation;
• (c) intentionally inducing creep in portions of the walls of the drilled hole during portions of the drilling operation for causing substantial portions of the walls to partially cave in;
• (d) retracting the drilling bit from the drilled hole;
• (e) further drilling in the hole in an area approximately concentric with the drilled hole formed during said forward drilling operation as the drilling bit is retracted for drilling out those portions of the walls that have caved into the drilled hole;
• (f) removing broken coal as the drilling bit is retracted from the drilled hole;
• (g) plugging the drilled hole with spaced concrete plugs and waste material from the drilling operation after the drilling bit has been retracted;
• and,
• (h) commencing drilling of a new hole in a direction extending along a coal seam.

A method of mining mineral deposits utilizing a drilling system including:

• a primary drilling bit mechanism arranged at the forward end of the system for drilling into the earth and having a plurality of drilling bits;
• a drilling string member for attaching the drilling bit mechanism to portions of the drilling system arranged on the surface of the earth;
• a drive mechanism for rotating drilling bits without rotating the drilling string member;
• a secondary drilling bit mechanism arranged concentric with and near the primary drilling bit mechanism for enabling minerals to be drilled when retracting the drilling string member and the primary drilling bit mechanism from a drilled hole;
• and, a stabilizing mechanism coupled to the drilling string member near the drilling bit mechanism for securing the drilling bit mechanism against lateral movement for enabling the drilling bits to drill along a coal seam in the earth that extends at an angular orientation with respect to the surface of the earth;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) drilling down into the earth with the primary drilling bit mechanism for forming a large diameter hole so as to break up mineral deposits as the drilling occurs;
• (b) stabilizing the primary drilling bit mechanism against lateral movement during the drilling operation;
• (c) removing broken mineral fragments from the drilled hole;
• (d) intentionally inducing creep in portions of the side walls of the drilled out hole during the drilling operation for causing substantial portions of the side walls to fall into the drilled hole;
• (e) retracting the primary drilling bit mechanism and the drilling string member from the drilled hole and with the secondary drilling bit mechanism drilling in an area concentric with the drilled hole formed by the primary drilling bit mechanism so as to drill out any mineral fragments that have fallen into the hole above the secondary drilling bit mechanism;
• and,
• (f) removing such mineral fragments as the drilling member is retracted from the drilled hole.

A method of mining coal utilizing reverse direction drilling equipment with a drilling bit attached at the end of a drill string and a water circulating mechanism, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) drilling into the earth from the surface of the earth in a direction extending along a coal seam with the drilling bit for breaking up the coal;
• (b) extracting broken coal from the drilled hole during the drilling operation;
• (c) inducing creep in portions of the walls of the drilled hole during portions of the drilling operation for causing such portions of the wall to partially cave in;
• (d) retracting the drilling bit from the drilled hole;
• (e) further drilling in the hole as the drilling bit is retracted;
• (f) removing broken coal as the drilling bit is retracted from the drilled hole;
• (g) plugging the drilled hole with spaced concrete plugs and waste material from the drilling operation after the drilling bit has been retracted;
• (h) commencing drilling of a new hole in a direction extending along a coal seam;
• (i) drilling a first set of holes and plugging such holes in such manner;
• and,
• (j) drilling and plugging a second set of holes in such manner so that the holes of the second set are interspersed with the holes of the first set of drilled holes and such holes are drilled so that the distance between the center points of adjacent holes is approximately 125% of the diameter of each drilled hole.

A method of mining mineral deposits utilizing a drilling system including:

• a primary drilling bit mechanism arranged at the forward end of the system for drilling into the earth and having a plurality of drilling bits;
• a drilling string member for attaching the drilling bit mechanism to portions of the drilling system arranged on the surface of the earth;
• a drive mechanism for rotating drilling bits without rotating the drilling string member;
• a secondary drilling bit mechanism arranged near but above the primary drilling bit mechanism for enabling coal to be drilled when retracting the drilling string member and the primary drilling bit mechanism from a drilled hole;
• and, a stabilizing mechanism coupled to the drilling string member near the drilling bit mechanism for securing the drilling bit mechanism against lateral movement for enabling the drilling bits to drill along a coal seam in the earth that extends at an angular orientation with respect to the surface of the earth;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• (a) drilling down into the earth with the primary drilling bit mechanism for forming a large diameter hole so as to break up mineral deposits as the drilling occurs;
• (b) stabilizing the primary drilling bit mechanism against lateral movement during the drilling operation;
• (c) removing broken mineral fragments from the drilled hole;
• (d) inducing creep in portions of the side walls of the drilled out hole during the drilling operation;
• (e) retracting the primary drilling bit mechanism and the drilling string member from the drilled hole and with the secondary drilling bit mechanism drilling out any mineral fragments in the hole above the secondary drilling but mechanism;
• (f) removing such mineral fragments as the drilling member is retracted from the drilled hole;
• (g) drilling a first set of holes and plugging with concrete plugs and waste the drilled holes in such manner;
• and,
• (h) drilling a second set of holes with the holes of such second set being interspersed with the holes of the first set of drilled holes with the holes being drilled so that the distance between the center lines of adjacent holes is approximately 125% of the diameter of each drilled hole.