Sonic apparatus and method for slurry well bore mining and production
OwnerAlbert G. Bodineinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A well bore is formed which runs down to an underground region having deposits of mineral material to be mined, by installing a casing or a drill pipe into the ground. A piping assembly is placed in the bore hole through the casing and the mineral material comminuted by means of water jet action or by vibratory action of a portion of the piping thereagainst or by both types of action operating simultaneously. The mineral material is mixed with the water in the bore hole to form a slurry which is removed from the bore hole through the piping by sonic pumping action or by virtue of the slurry rising to the surface as the bore hole fills, with oil floating to the top of the slurry material.
Claims34
A system for mining mineral material from a bed of such material located in a well bore comprising
- means installed in said well bore for feeding liquid to said bed,
- elastic column means adapted to boring hard mineral material installed in said well bore,
- means for vibratorily driving said column means at a sonic frequency to develop sonic elastic wave energy therein,
- said sonic elastic wave energy being transferred from said column means to the liquid and mineral material in the side walls of said well bore in said bed so as to cause the mineral material to comminute from said bed and mix with the liquid to form a slurry, and
- means for bringing the slurry to the surface.
A method for mining mineral material from a bed of such material comprising the steps of
- sonically driving a drive member into the ground to form a well bore running down to said bed of material,
- feeding water into said well bore to said bed of material,
- placing a conduit adapted to boring hard mineral material within said well bore, said conduit running down to said bed of material, and
- sonically driving said conduit so as to generate vibratory energy therein,
- said energy comminuting the bed material and being transferred to the water causing said material to mix with the water to form a slurry.
A system for mining mineral material from a bed of such material located in a well bore comprising
- means installed in said well bore for feeding liquid to said bed,
- conduit means installed in said well bore,
- means for vibratorily driving said conduit means at a sonic frequency
- cutting bar means pivotally suspended from the bottom portion of said conduit means, sonic energy being transferred from said conduit means to said bar means, the bar means abutting against the well bore walls in the region of the mineral bed,
- sonic energy being transferred to the liquid and mineral material in the side walls of said well bore in said bed so as to cause the mineral material to comminute from said bed and mix with the liquid to form a slurry, and
- means for bringing the slurry to the surface.
A system for mining mineral material from a bed of such material located in a well bore comprising
- means installed in said well bore for feeding liquid to said bed,
- conduit means installed in said well bore,
- means for vibratorily driving said conduit means at a sonic frequency,
- a shaft member having a passageway formed therein fixedly attached to the bottom end of said conduit means, said shaft member having a piston on the bottom end thereof, a cylinder in which said piston is slidably supported, a pair of cutter arms, and means for pivotally connecting the cutter arms to said cylinder, liquid in the well bore being forced downwardly through the passageway and driving said piston downwardly, thereby effecting relative upward motion of said cylinder and driving said cutter arms against the walls of the well bore.
A system for mining mineral material from a bed of such material located in a well bore comprising
- means installed in said well bore for feeding liquid to said bed,
- conduit means comprising a drill pipe installed in said well bore,
- means for vibratorily driving said drill pipe at a sonic frequency comprising eccentric weight means fixedly mounted on said drill pipe and means for rotatably driving said drill pipe such that said pipe orbitally rotates around the bore hole wall, vibrational energy being generated in the conduit means by virtue of said eccentric weight means so as to vibrate said conduit against said wall,
- sonic energy being transferred to the liquid and mineral material in the side walls of said well bore in said bed so as to cause the mineral material to comminute from said bed and mix with the liquid to form a slurry, and
- means for bringing the slurry to the surface.
A system for mining mineral material from a bed of such material located in a well bore comprising
- means installed in said well bore for feeding liquid to said bed comprising first jet nozzle means for forming liquid jets which impinge against the mineral bed and engender the comminution thereof and a supply of pressurized air and second jet nozzle means for feeding the air upwardly against the slurry to effect pumping action,
- conduit means installed in said well bore,
- means for vibratorily driving said conduit means at a sonic frequency,
- sonic energy being transferred to the liquid and mineral material in the side walls of said well bore in said bed so as to cause the mineral material to comminute from said bed and mix with the liquid to form a slurry, and
- means for bringing the slurry to the surface.
A method for mining mineral material from a bed of such material comprising the steps of
- sonically driving a drill pipe into the ground to form a well bore running down to said bed of material,
- feeding water into said well bore to said bed of material,
- placing a conduit within said well bore, said conduit running down to said bed of material, and
- sonically driving said conduit so as to generate vibratory energy therein,
- whereby said energy comminutes the bed material causing said material to mix with the water to form a slurry.
A method for mining mineral material from a bed of such material comprising the steps of
- sonically driving a drive member into the ground to form a well bore running down to said bed of material,
- feeding water into said well bore to said bed of material,
- placing a conduit having check valve means installed therein within said well bore, said conduit running down to said bed of material,
- sonically driving said conduit so as to generate vibratory energy therein, and
- feeding pressurized air upwardly against the slurry,
- whereby said energy comminutes the bed material causing said material to mix with the water to form a slurry and simultaneously causing pumping action of the check valve means so as to pump the slurry up the conduit and out of the well bore, the upwardly fed pressurized air augmenting the pumping action.
A method for mining mineral material from a bed of such material comprising the steps of
- sonically driving a drive member into the ground to form a well bore running down to said bed of material,
- feeding water into said well bore to said bed of material,
- placing a conduit within said well bore, said conduit running down to said bed of material,
- sonically driving said conduit so as to generate vibratory energy therein, and
- rotating and rolling said vibrating conduit around the side wall of said well bore with an oribtal motion,
- whereby said energy comminutes the bed material causing said materail to mix with the water to form a slurry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.